G20 Presidency Reflects Interests of Global South, says Jaishankar

Jaishankar made these remarks during the annual flagship event co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie India. The theme for this year’s Summit is Geopolitics of Technology.

“India would like to use the presidency of G20 in many ways to reflect interests and concerns today of the global south as we feel they’re being sidelined and not just be a voice but would like to take into global south something we’ve tested and prepared at home,” said EAM at Global Tech Summit.

He made the remarks during a question-and-answer session at the event.

On the issue of climate change, Jaishankar said, “Since 2014 there’s been a different kind of approach to climate change in terms of our policies, advocacies, energy mix… When it comes to climate tech, India has a range of possibilities… There are Indian businesses in climate in COP now.”
“We’re actually already seeing the impact of climate events and climate change on politics. An example would be the big debate today in Europe is if it will be able to survive the winter from the energy perspective,” he added.

The minister noted that there is an intensification in big power competition and many agreements of the past will not continue. “We have already seen in the last few days, there are agreements which are not being renewed. It will become much harder to have new understandings,” he said.

Underscoring the importance of data in national security he said, “Where our data is going is no longer matter of business and economics but of national security. Everything is being weaponised in this world of ours, I have to change my approach of where I should be protective of my interests.”

He noted how India has started engagement on Indo Pacific Economic Framework. “US has been upfront on it. There is big technology and supply chain element to it. You have IPEF, Quad and a lot of bilateral discussions with different partners and big debates going on in our own country,” he said.

On the impact of the Ukraine conflict, he said the war has sucked up the oxygen in Europe. We will hopefully be doing our meeting in some more time.”
Speaking at the seventh edition of the Global Technology Summit in New Delhi, the External Affairs Minister underscored the importance of technology in geopolitics and the emerging world order.

“We people, especially in India in the last two years, have woken up to the fact, where does our data reside? Who processes and harvests our data and what do they do with it? That is a very very key question,” Jaishnakar said.

The minister emphasised that countries have fashioned their national security decisions by applying technology. “When we think today of the competitive politics sharper contradictions, I think we should be more and more cognisant,” he said.

Jaishankar also pointed out that India cannot be agnostic about technology, saying that there is a very strong political connotation that is inbuilt into technology. He also emphasised that data is the new oil and strong political connotations are inbuilt into technology.