The power of vasudhaiva kutumbakam during G20

This article is authored by Shiv Prakash, national joint general secretary (Org.), Bharatiya Janata Party.

The success of the G20 summit, as seen in the Delhi Declaration, has reinforced the power of the sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas tenet that has now emerged as a template for development and progress for the world to emulate.

The G20 Summit was held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. (PTI file photo)

There are some events that become defining reference points for generations. The recent G20 summit in Delhi under India’s presidency and the stewardship of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is one such event.

The motto of the G20 summit—vasudhaiva kutumbakam – One Earth One Family One Future, aptly captures India’s outlook and philosophy towards the G20 presidency.

PM Modi's approach to work has always been to ensure that government and official schemes are directly related to society, insofar as they communicate to people the larger socio-economic benefits that flow from plans and programmes. The goal of One Earth, One Family, One Future has become symbolic of an interconnected world. This is the true realisation of the concept of vasudhaiva kutumbakam. Through the G20 summit, the world got to witness India’s multi-faceted and multi-layered development model based on development, diversity and democracy.

India sees the world as one family, not as disparate entities defined by geographical boundaries, bound by a goal towards the greater common good. When the family progresses, each member also advances, leaving no one behind.

The G20 summit demonstrated the PM’s focus on sabka saath with unwavering commitment on uniting the world to collectively surmount global challenges.

Similarly, for sabka vikas, all the attending world leaders have pledged to take human-centric growth to every country and every region, and embraced the concept of sabka vishwas, which embodies India’s philosophy of building trust among all stakeholders, factoring in diverse aspirations and goals. Sabka prayas too found resonance in the summit, building on each other’s strengths to overcome humanity’s myriad problems jointly.

While the G20 was supposed to be a grouping of the world’s biggest economies, it ended up being representative of so much more with one lakh delegates from 125 countries attending over 200 meetings held in more than 60 Indian cities.

The summit with 112 outcomes and the presidency documents, has more than doubled the substantive work of previous presidencies.

The Delhi Declaration focussed on creating an inclusive world and placed strong emphasis on key priorities. Among these are fostering robust and sustainable economic growth, expediting measures towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals, establishing a green development pact to promote environmental sustainability, and revitalising the spirit of multilateralism.

Another very important outcome of the summit was the expansion of the G20 family with induction of the African Union (AU) into the group, strengthening the traditional bonds between India and Africa which have spanned decades.

The inclusion of AU in the G20 fold is testimony to India’s role in the broader global economic and strategic goals of the Global South. PM Modi has always emphasised that the global trade order should address the concerns of inequalities between the developed and the developing worlds.

The agreement on the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) during the summit is a momentous milestone for India. The corridor will not only offer an alternative transport route to the flourishing markets of the Middle East and Europe, but will also extend India’s reach to North Africa and eventually to North America.

This corridor is expected to reduce the time and cost of transporting Indian goods to Europe by 40% and 30%, respectively, and vice versa. It will improve logistical proficiencies, lower business costs, promote economic unity, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, triggering transformative integration across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

The G20 summit in Delhi has served as a medium to reaffirm and showcase India’s distinctive contribution to global unity, as the world came together under the banner of vasudhaiva kutumbakam.

This article is authored by Shiv Prakash, national joint general secretary (Org.), Bharatiya Janata Party.