India’s G20 Presidency: Leading the Charge Towards a Multi-Polar World and a Viksit Bharat

Abstract

The 18th G-20 summit in New Delhi concluded on September 8th and 9th, 2023, with India hosting the presidency for the first time. The timing of India’s presidency is crucial given the ongoing tensions around various global challenges. The 21st century has seen significant transformations in power dynamics and global order, leading to a multipolar world order. The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas conflict have further exacerbated the division between the West and East. The year of 2024 also witnessed the return of Trump administration in United States.  The North-South divide has already separated the globe, and neo-colonialism continues to permeate developing and underdeveloped worlds. Great Power politics has also reached new heights, with the strengthening of Russia-Chinese relations, NATO’s expansion, and China's potential as a rival to the US contributing to this. India’s G-20 presidency has become significant in the emergence of a new multipolar world order and the rising great power rivalry. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of ‘Viksit Bharth’ by 2047 is rooted in all-round, all-pervasive, and all-inclusive development. This historic presidency has allowed India to showcase its global diplomacy and establish itself as the voice of the global south. This paper analyses India’s G20 presidency in the context of the emerging multipolar global order and Great Power Politics, specifically with India’s ambition for growth by 2047.