Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that the G20 should prioritize the challenges faced by Global South nations, such as the crises in food, fuel, and fertilizers, which have been exacerbated by global conflicts. Speaking on the first day of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, PM Modi highlighted that India's G20 theme of "One Earth, One Family, One Future" remains as pertinent this year as it was at last year's summit. Among the leaders attending the two-day event at Rio de Janeiro's Modern Art Museum are US President Joe Biden, PM Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends G20 summit in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro | Image: AP
Key Takeaways from Day 1 of G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro
The main event on the opening day was the unveiling of a global partnership aimed at addressing poverty and hunger, with backing from over 80 countries.
During his remarks, Modi also advocated for reforms to global governance institutions.
"And just as we amplified the voice of the Global South by granting permanent membership of G20 to the African Union during the New Delhi summit, we will reform institutions of global governance," he said.
India Supports Brazil on Hunger and Poverty Challenges
The Prime Minister expressed India's support for Brazil's initiative to create a 'global alliance against hunger and poverty.'
"The people-centric decisions taken at the G20 Summit in New Delhi have been taken forward during Brazil's Presidency," he said.
"It is a matter of great satisfaction that we prioritised SDG (sustainable development goals). We focused on inclusive development, women-led development, and youth power," he said.
"And gave wings to the hopes and aspirations of the Global South. It is clear that One Earth One Family One Future is as relevant at this summit as it was last year," he added.
India Uplifts 250 Million People from Extreme Poverty in the Last Decade
India's G20 presidency draws its theme from the ancient Sanskrit text, the Maha Upanishad. "In the past decade, we have helped lift 250 million people out of poverty," Modi remarked.
In keeping with the session's theme, Modi also highlighted India's achievements in tackling hunger and poverty.
"Over 800 million people are being given food grains free of cost. 550 million people are benefiting from the world's biggest health insurance scheme," he said.
"Now, 60 million senior citizens, over the age of 70, will also be able to benefit from free health insurance," he said.
"Maintaining our focus on women-led development and social inclusion, over 300 million women micro-entrepreneurs have been linked to banks and given access to credit," Modi added.
The Prime Minister also discussed India's crop insurance scheme.
PM Modi Announces India’s Leadership in Global Crop Insurance
"Under the world's largest crop insurance scheme, over 40 million farmers have received benefits worth 20 billion US dollars," he said.
"Under the farmers' scheme, assistance worth over 40 billion dollars has been given to 110 million farmers. Institutional credit worth 300 billion US dollars is being given to farmers," he said.
Modi stated that India is not only prioritizing food security but also emphasizing nutrition. He added that New Delhi is playing a role in global food security by supplying food to various nations.
"The main reason for our success is our approach: 'back to basics' and 'march to the future'," he said.
"We have focused not only on natural farming and organic farming but also on new technologies. We have focused on sustainable agriculture, protection of the environment, nutrition and food security by promoting Sri Ann or millets," he said.
The Prime Minister stated that India has developed more than 2,000 climate-resilient crop varieties and launched the 'Digital Agriculture Mission'.
"India’s digital public Infrastructure enabled social and financial inclusion. With the aspirational districts and blocks project, we created a new model for inclusive development that strengthens the weakest link," he said.
Modi started his visit to Brazil following the completion of a two-day trip to Nigeria.
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