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How has India shaped the G-20? How has the G-20 presidency shaped India’s global future? Watch NDTV’s mega conclave that brings the biggest names behind India’s G-20 success on one stage. Join us for a day-long event today, where we decode energy transition, clean growth, digital economy and India’s big global moment.
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“No ban on laptops, there’s no License Raj; our communication was bad. We don’t want any equipment coming into the country which is anything other than trusted. Most laptops are manufactured in a particular country and we don’t want any dependency. We want Made In India products and stuff that is trusted by us and if you want to import it then it should be from a trusted source. We do not do anything that would disrupt our digital economy. We want trusted source equipment. We don’t want to be in a position like many Western countries where 80% of equipment has a dubious source,” Mr Chandrashekhar said.
“India’s approach to privacy has been different from its European counterparts. Their approach is more prescriptive. Our approach is more citizen-centered and principle-based. I think they are signalling that they want to be prescriptive.
“Internet shutdown or lawful shutdown is not unique to India. The UK also does that. It happens when fake news travels faster than real news and can create a law and order situation. The Internet was earlier seen as a power for good; there is now weaponisation of the internet through misinformation like Pakistan’s DGISPR, Khalistani bots, etc. Internet shutdown is the last resort to deal with misinformation. Singapore has come up with a very tight discussion. If we figure out a way to make the internet safe and trusted then there’s less need for takedowns,” Mr Chandrashekhar said.
“Digital personal data protection bill has a twin objective – to put the break on misuse and exploitation and to create symmetry in relation by addressing the asymmetry.
“Powers given to the Centre are very narrowly defined. In India, privacy is a fundamental right but not absolute. For national security, pandemics, and natural disasters government has to discharge duty and it needs some power,” Mr Chandrashekhar said.
“As we digitise and move from 30 crore Indians online to 80 crore Indians online now. Cyber security is a challenge. As much as the internet represents good, there are bad actors, there’s misuse that takes place,” Mr Chandrashekhar said.
“We are not really enforcing any India model but turning the head that tech was for rich countries and we have to run to Big Tech for that. We want to turn the narrative that India DPI is open source, no one owns it and it’s for the people. The UPI is a solution to solve corruption and leakage. PM Modi came with Jan Dhan Accounts, DBT, and then UPI evolved. It’s a vibrant ecosystem.
“One big difference between how tech has been viewed in post and pre-2014 India. Pre-2014, it was about jobs, investment and just a part of the general economy. Post-2014, there’s a conscious effort to include tech in governance. In nine years, we have spent Rs 5-6 lakh crore in e-governance. Post-2014, we had a leader to use max tech in governance. Now we have Aadhar, UPI, DigiLocker and if that vision had not been in place, during Covid, we could’ve had a very difficult time. It helped us a lot during the pandemic,” Mr Chandrashekhar said.
“One of the amazing things about India’s G20 presidency is how DPI is at the centre stage, even during Pre-G20 presidency. DPI has transformed the ecosystem and transformed the lives of people, especially in the post-covid world. The vision PM Modi had in 2015 was that tech can transform lives. DPI was the vision of PM Modi and we have demonstrated that through a win-win situation with the private sector with people at the centre and we want to expand the DPI structure in the public ecosystem,” he said.
“PM Modi in 2021 said he wanted AI to build for DPI and therefore AI for governance has become important. There are countries lining up to take the open-source tech and customise it,” he added.
Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Honourable Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, on the stage for his talk on Digital Economy.
“In 2021, in his address from Red Fort, PM Modi talked about adopting Green Hydrogen, and many questioned it. There is a trend – completely end fossil fuels. If you want to end fossil fuels then invest in renewable energy,” he said.
On Fuel Consumption and Climate Change: “It is very easy to go around polluting the world and give prescription to the world (developed countries to developing countries). “
“Earlier getting gas cylinders was difficult and women used coal to cook food and it was toxic. We moved from there. The Ujjawala scheme gave 9 crore gas cylinders. The person who is most vulnerable is of the highest priority,” he said.
“In 2014, the gas pipeline was 14,500 km. Our target is 33,000 km. Natural gas usage in the economy will go up. We are trying to increase production.
“LPG connections are going up, and CNG connections have also gone up. idea is to increase the connection. The fuel of the future is green hydrogen. People might not want to use fossil fuels 20 years from now because there will be options. Green Hydrogen will succeed when there’s domestic demand and domestic production.
“By 2025, we’ll have an interesting situation, We’ll have 20% bio blending and we’ll shed our inhibition. The number of cars on CNG is going up and in many ways, it represents India story,” Mr Puri said.
“You’re rethinking fuel and also providing a boost to agriculture. Technical studies have shown that if there’s 20% blending then auto parts won’t have corrosion, and parts will have better performance. I was told that you can’t blend more than 20%. We experimented that there won’t be any problem till 20%. E20 fuel is right and 2000 pumps are selling E20 fuel. If we put a target of over 20%, do have the system for that. Today I can tell you that cars are coming with E85 i.e. 85% ethanol in fuel,” Mr Puri said.
“There are important indicators for an economy. India’s fuel consumption is three times of that of the global average. It’s a good indicator of a state’s economy. You’re not rethinking energy, you’re rethinking clean energy. In 2006, I went to Brazil as an envoy. We tried to have a collaboration with them on biofuel. Sharad Pawar was the agriculture minister and we took a decision that in ten states, we would do 5% blending of biofuels in fuels and from 2006-2014 it was around 1.5%. What went wrong in these 8 years? Today we are doing 11.7% now. We are targeting 20%,” he said.
“India has traveled from being the tenth largest to the fifth largest economy, no one has any doubt that India can become a 10 trillion-dollar economy in the future. Morgan Stanley says India’s future will look like China’s past,” he said.
“The G20 presidency of India came at a time when the world was facing multiple crises. G20 was created during the 2008 financial crisis. G20 Summit in London in 2010 helped address that. G20 presidency of India is when there are 3 crisis – Food, Fuel, Fertilisers. India is on the moon and our figures look generally good,” Mr Puri said.
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Housing and Urban Affairs, is on stage for his talk on Energy Transition.
Rajat Dhawan, India Managing Partner, McKinsey: “The imperatives are applicable to G20, and for India, jumpstarting and accelerating is important. Over 2 billion people in the G20 global south live under the empowerment line. 75% of India’s districts have witnessed climate change. A sustainable and inclusive pathway is the way forward. Two goals for the next 10 years – half the amount of carbon emission and a large part of the billion population live below the empowerment line. Let’s drive growth and it will bring money.
Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa: “We have put the developmental agenda at the forefront, we are not responsible for the Ukraine war. Digital transformation in the world is moving away from innovation in US, and UK. India has demonstrated that you can create public sector layers on which private players can operate and in India, data is owned by the world. We have an open source model, API.”
Bob Sternsfel: “We’ve done some research on how to tackle climate change and we need 9 trillion dollars every year to tackle climate change.”
Raj Dhawan: “India has innovated in creating the public digital infrastructure. Now 85% of people have bank accounts and from UID or Aadhar.”
Amitabh Kant: “Important for India to grow at 8-9% annually for at least three decades. We need to create jobs through manufacturing, urbanisation in a sustainable manner, and improving agriculture. We’ll be the skill capital of the world and we need to train them and that has to be the number one priority. As PM Modi said, you can rest assured that our G20 presidency will be decisive, and reflective and it will be demonstrated.”
“Redefining from poverty to empowerment – we are accustomed to the poverty line. Empowerment is about mobility. The real aspiration should be to rise above the empowerment line and not the poverty line. When we raise our aspiration from poverty to empowerment we raise the challenges,” Bob Sternfels, Global Partner, McKinsey, said.
“I really believe that this is India’s century and our 2047 report says that India will grow by 8% every year and women will be 60% of the workforce. 20% of world’s talent is here in India. Over 850 million internet users in India that lay the technological foundation,” Bob Sternfels, Global Partner, McKinsey, said. “There has been no time in history when conflicts have come together – Climate changes, inequality, geo-political issues, tech adoption, poverty,” he added.
“Climate action is a priority and we have not carbonised the world but it’s incumbent on us to take action. For both SDG and climate action, we need finance,” he said.
“India is now the fifth largest economy and aiming to become the third largest. We’ve provided pipe water connection, we built toilets, during Covid vaccines to almost 2.2 billion people. In the last 7-8 years, we have done quite phenomenal work. What we’ve achieved in seven years is what India normally would achieve in 50 years,” Mr Kant said.
India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant begins his keynote address.
“The world is full of challenges today, but we in India, see these challenges as opportunities,” Mr Kant said.
“We have to get out of the Khan Market, Lutyens Delhi culture and move from the limited sphere of thinking. Since 2014, PM Modi has been saying that we have to work for the people of India and we will win elections because of our good work. Today, India is not about what Delhi decides, today it is bottoms up and it’s about what villages want and what the poor think. It’s about taking the fruits of development to the common man,” he said.
“We are all optimistic and the young demographic profile of India in 30s will add 30 trillion dollars to India’s economy in the coming years. We are going to bring convergence. Given PM Modi’s astute leadership and the popularity that he has among leaders, I’m confident we can bring something on geo-political issues,” Mr Goyal said.
“Every single Indian, even in the remotest area, recognises India’s global position.”
#DecodingG20WithNDTV | Union Minister Piyush Goyal at NDTV Decoding G20 Conclave#NDTVDecodingG20#NDTVConclave#G20SpecialonNDTVpic.twitter.com/bMLx7JDOD0
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“Ever since 2014, India played an important role in the Paris summit and helped bring the world together and has played an important role in global leadership and has been the voice of the global south. PM Modi has earned the trust of India and that is a defining factor of India’s leadership. Yesterday at the B20 summit, which is represented by 55 countries, we had 15 trade ministers on one stage. India can bring diverse opinions on one stage and despite all the challenges the world is facing, India brought dimension to the world and helped redefine the potential of International trade,” Union Minister Piyush Goyal said.
“It’s indeed a matter of great pride that our scientists have taken us to the Moon in grand style and we’re the first country to land near the moon’s south surface. It’s reflective of new India and PM flew to Bengaluru to greet the scientists. The G20 leaders in Jaipur are in awe of India’s leadership. they are looking at India to bring inclusivity to bring greater good to mankind. I have no doubt that PM will provide leadership to a global effort,” Mr Goyal said.
#DecodingG20WithNDTV | Watch NDTV’s day-long mega conclave ‘Decoding G20’
As we talk to ministers at the center of India’s G20 success, the G20 sherpa and chief coordinator, foreign policy experts, the World Economic Forum chief and voices from the global south, the conclave… pic.twitter.com/NvuNAEzYOl
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