Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India’s vision for six new G20-led initiatives at the Johannesburg Summit, including a global campaign to break the drug-terror network, a rapid-response medical team, a repository of traditional knowledge, an open satellite data-sharing framework, and a circularity plan for critical minerals. He also urged the G20 to fundamentally redefine global development standards.
On Saturday, as the G20 convened for the first time on African soil, PM Modi said the occasion called for a fresh evaluation of conventional development benchmarks, stressing that progress should never undermine environmental sustainability.
Here the the six new G20-led initiatives proposed by Prime Minister Modi.
1. G20 Global Traditional Knowledge Repository to preserve and harness humanity's collective wisdom.
2. G20 Africa Skills Multiplier to develop one million certified trainers for skilling African youth and building long-term regional capacities.
3. G20 Global Healthcare Response Team, comprising experts from all member nations, that could be deployed for international health emergencies.
4. G20 Open Satellite Data Partnership to widen access to space-based data for development sectors.
5. G20 Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative to bolster innovation in recycling, urban mining and sustainable battery use.
6. G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug Terror Nexus to combat trafficking and break the drug-terror economy.
According to a press note released by the PMO, Prime Minister Modi used the opening session themed “Inclusive and sustainable economic growth leaving no one behind” to commend South Africa’s presidency for its work on skilled migration, tourism, food security, AI, digital innovation, and women’s empowerment. He also noted that several key decisions from India’s G20 presidency in New Delhi had been successfully advanced.
Calling for a fairer global governance structure, Modi emphasized the importance of amplifying the voice of the Global South. He highlighted the permanent inclusion of the African Union in the G20 during the New Delhi Summit as a landmark achievement and said that this inclusive approach must continue beyond the forum.
The PM Modi also expressed gratitude to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his hospitality and congratulated the country on hosting a successful Summit. This marks Modi’s 12th participation in a G20 Leaders’ Summit.
