“Modi Magic” In G-20

India has once again met global expectations by successfully leading the G-20 group. Beyond just leading, it provided one of the world’s foremost bodies with a fresh direction through numerous innovative measures. The triumphant hosting of the group’s annual summit in Delhi, under the capable and dignified leadership of PM Narendra Modi, marked the zenith of India’s presidency.

Achieving consensus on the summit’s final statement, despite deep divisions among member states over Russia’s actions in Ukraine, stood out as a significant accomplishment of India’s G-20 leadership. Few analysts anticipated this outcome before the summit. However, more than 200 hours of diplomatic discussions across over 300 meetings and rigorous negotiations over 15 draft statements made this diplomatic feat possible, highlighting India’s esteemed position on the global stage under PM Modi’s leadership.

The New Delhi declaration avoided direct criticism of Russia, even though differences in opinions on the issue were evident during the summit. The summit sherpas worked tirelessly until a day before the event to find common ground among all members. While the declaration can be seen as a victory for the Kremlin, especially since the previous G-20 annual summit in Bali condemned its actions in Ukraine more strongly, it underscores India’s enduring commitment to friendly relations.

The Delhi summit will also be remembered for various other milestones. Notably, India achieved its significant objective of securing the African Union’s status as a permanent G-20 member. This decision further cements India’s leadership role within the Global South. It also marks a considerable accomplishment for the over 1.4 billion Africans who will now have broader representation in one of the world’s most pivotal forums, especially given that, until now, the African continent’s representation was limited to South Africa alone.

From India’s vantage point, a paramount development is the ambitious pact with the United States and Saudi Arabia. This agreement promises to serve as a counterbalance to China in the forthcoming years, potentially heralding a major shift in global dynamics. This expansive endeavor, termed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, aims to bridge Asia and Europe via the Middle East, encompassing the construction of railways, ports, power infrastructures, data networks, and hydrogen pipelines. Once realized, this project could pose a challenge to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has been in motion for several years. Commonly referred to as the “Spice Route” corridor, it has the potential to boost trade between India and Europe by 40%. The inauguration of this corridor will rejuvenate ancient trade pathways stretching from India to Egypt and the Red Sea, further reinstating India’s stature as a pivotal hub for economic and cultural exchange.

The New Delhi summit will stand out in G-20 history for potentially the most robust and ambitious consensus on climate change to date. At the summit, G-20 leaders committed to tripling their investment in renewable energy by 2030 and intensifying efforts to invest in climate crisis-driven disasters. Yet, the current stance on phasing out coal remains unchanged, underscoring our continued reliance on fossil fuels. While many deem the target of tripling renewable capacity by 2030 ambitious, a glance at the annual capacity growth from 2015 to 2022 reveals it has more than doubled. With earnest efforts, achieving this target within the next seven years is plausible.

The success of the G-20 summit is undeniably a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s formidable leadership. This summit has emerged as a remarkable diplomatic victory for India, with even the country’s political opposition lauding the Prime Minister for this accomplishment.

Prior to the summit, the prevailing assumption was that, for the first time in G-20 history, a consensus would remain elusive due to the stark disagreements between Western countries and Russia and China, especially concerning the language addressing the Ukraine conflict. Such an outcome would have been perceived as a leadership failure, especially given the substantial political capital invested in the G-20 and its direct linkage to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Yet, in line with the recurring theme of “Modi makes it possible,” history repeated itself. The Prime Minister yet again demonstrated that the global community can no longer hinder India’s path; instead, India is forging ahead and charting the course for others. Today, the world’s premier leaders recognize and respect Prime Minister Modi’s capacity to set the agenda for expansive, critical discussions.

The positive feedback from global leaders underscores the heightened expectations the world now has of India. US President Joe Biden candidly remarked that under India’s presidency, this year’s G-20 summit has demonstrated the group’s enhanced capability to address its most pressing issues. Likewise, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, alluding to India’s role in amplifying the significance of the ‘Global South’, emphasized the world’s recognition of a rising power center. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described India as the apt nation at the opportune moment to lead the G-20.

This shift in global diplomacy is significant, and the accolade undeniably belongs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has consistently maintained that when a nation moves forward with pride, shedding a mindset of subservience, it begins its transformation. The G20 summit has validated that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India is indeed on the cusp of such a transformation. Given the newfound prominence of Prime Minister Modi’s role on the global stage, showcased during the summit themed ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, appending ‘One Leader’ to the summit’s theme would be apt.