India’s Commitment to Global South Highlighted by Jaishankar at B20 Summit

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the B20 summit in the national capital on Sunday, emphasizing India’s proactive role in raising concerns and addressing issues pertinent to the Global South. Jaishankar highlighted how India has not just voiced its support but also demonstrated concrete actions aligned with its commitment.

Jaishankar noted that India’s current trajectory includes elements of experimentation, scaling up, deployment, innovation, and breakthroughs, with these developments serving as replicable models for other nations in the Global South. The External Affairs Minister recalled India’s remarkable response during the Covid-19 pandemic, where the nation emerged as the ‘Pharmacy of the World,’ exporting ‘Made in India’ vaccines to over 100 countries. He also highlighted India’s prompt assistance provided to countries facing crises, such as Myanmar and Turkey.

He stated, “Today’s India is the one, where the world simultaneously witnesses experimentation, scaling up, deployment, innovation, and breakthroughs. I stress these developments not only because they solve one-sixth of the world’s problems by themselves, but because they provide replicable models for the rest of the Global South.”

Jaishankar discussed how India’s actions mirror its intent and behavior, showcasing its commitment to the Global South. He elaborated, “Stress situations normally provide a good indicator of intent and behavior. During the Covid pandemic, Made-in-India vaccines were sent to about 100 countries. And about 150 nations imported medicines during this period from the Pharmacy of the World.”

India’s development partnerships have expanded significantly over the past decade, extending to 78 nations across various regions. Highlighting India’s approach to global development, Jaishankar mentioned that more than 200,000 individuals from over 60 countries have received training through Indian initiatives. He emphasized that India’s cooperation is guided by the ‘Kampala’ principle, articulated by Prime Minister Modi in 2018, which emphasizes prioritizing partners’ needs.

The External Affairs Minister also underlined India’s role as a first responder during crisis situations beyond its borders. He stated, “We have also stepped forward as the first responder in disaster, emergency, and conflict situations ranging from Fiji and Myanmar to Mozambique, Yemen, and Turkey. Emerging World 2.0 is one with more engines of growth, a fairer distribution of the benefits of globalization, and greater resources devoted to attaining sustainable development goals and promoting climate action.”

The B20 summit, a G20 dialogue forum with the global business community, commenced on August 25 and is themed ‘R.A.I.S. E – Responsible, Accelerated, Innovative, Sustainable, and Equitable Businesses.’ The event has seen the participation of over 1,500 delegates from 55 countries over its three-day duration.