G20 meet was defining event of '23 for India in many ways

New Delhi cultivated this constituency of countries as a key support for its ambitions of global leadership

- Shashank Mattoo

On the first of December, the presidency of the G20 passed quietly from India to Brazil. It marked the close of India’s busiest year diplomatically in recent memory. New Delhi will see much to look back at with some satisfaction—an undeniably successful G20 summit, a stronger partnership with the US and a sharper focus on the Global South. But 2023 also saw setbacks. Allegations of Indian involvement in plots to assassinate pro-Khalistan figures in the US and Canada raised tensions with important nations and uncomfortable questions for New Delhi. India’s border crisis with China continues while Beijing strengthens its presence in India’s backyard.

In many ways, the G20 was the defining event of 2023 for India. At one level, India’s presidency of the organisation was a massive exercise in image building. A steady stream of foreign dignitaries visited the country over the course of the year, debating everything from the war in Ukraine to the climate crisis. India drove, and was seen to be driving, the conversation about some of the most pressing issues of the day. India’s moment has arrived, said many. This was also backed by substance as New Delhi succeeded in getting countries to accept a compromise joint declaration, which had evaded the body through the year. It also bolstered New Delhi’s effort to project itself as a bridging power, as it was able to balance the interests of Russia and China on the one hand and a collection of Western powers on the other. Notwithstanding some complaints from Europe on Ukraine, few could dispute that India got the result it wanted.