As part of its G20 presidency, India will offer practical answers, according to Amitabh Kant

Mumbai: Sherpa Amitabh Kant pledged on Tuesday that India will offer practical answers as part of the global forum while holding the G20 leadership.

At the side event, “Data for Development: The G20’s Role in Promoting the 2030 Agenda,” he was speaking.

Today, an official G20 Development Working Group side event on Data for Development- Role of G20 in Advancement of the 2030 Agenda was hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in cooperation with the Ministry of External Affairs (India’s G20 Secretariat), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the Office of the UN Secretary-Envoy General’s on Technology.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Special Advocate of the Secretary-General for Inclusive Finance for Development, Non-Executive Chairman of Infosys and Former Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, and India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh K spoke at the event, which was held at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai.

Special delegates from Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates were also present (UAE).

It is important to note that ORF is a renowned multidisciplinary think tank with locations in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Washington, DC.

At the event Amitabh Kant said, “We are meeting at the time of global tumult – with economic recession, the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, crisis of global debt, crisis of global finance.”

“India is a bright spot in this gloomy scenario and we will provide action-oriented solutions as part of the G20 presidency,” he added.

Abhishek Singh President and CEO of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), noting the success of the Gatishakti project, said, “Gatishakti is using more than 1600 layers of data for logistics management which has positively impacted manufacturing. G20 has provided us the platform to share our best practices and adopt and replicate models from other countries.”

Yoichi Iida, Deputy Director General for G7 and G20 relations, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan said, “G20 can allow the exchange of information for using data and set standards for data exchange.”

“We can also learn from each other. India is a real leader in this and we have a lot to learn from it. Perhaps India can establish a framework for shaping standards of data governance,” he added.

Shamika Ravi, Vice-President, of Economic Policy, ORF, addressing the need for proper regulations, said, “When institutions become data hungry, we also have to create the necessary infrastructure to harness that data properly.”

“As we include the excluded, we must ensure the digital divide can be overcome,” noted Anir Chowdhury.

“The G20, as a grouping of developed and developing countries, can help establish a global cooperation framework on data sharing, learning, and amplification,” Chowdhury further said.

The benefit that the G20 enjoys as a group that brings together both developed and developing nations was brought up by a number of speakers at the gathering. The potential for cross-sharing of information, experiences, innovations, and technology is huge.

India has used data to change the way its aspirational districts are governed as well as other aspects of life, including healthcare, women’s involvement, education, nutrition and food security, digital payments, and digital financial inclusion.

Examples of some of the amazing successes and current projects centred on “Data for Development” in other nations, including Bangladesh, Togo, Estonia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and the Netherlands, were also provided.

The programme covered the Indian experience with the tech stack, including discussions on Aadhaar, UPI, financial inclusion, and vaccination, all of which featured thorough stakeholder consultations.

It was emphasised how important it is to consult with stakeholders and for the government to work with the youth and corporate sector.

They recommended that the G20 establish a shared definition of sensitive and non-sensitive data. The classification of data could advance thanks in large part to the Indian Presidency.

The seminar also covered the need for people, processes, and finances in order to effectively harness data, which is the key to digital public infrastructure. However, they require time, and democracies in particular struggle with this because the election season frequently takes precedence. This is where the philanthropy sector can play a role in building digital public infrastructure (DPI).

There is one more facet to the idea of Data Commons, according to Amb. Amandeep Gill, Under-Secretary-General, Envoy on Technology: democratising the data and AI opportunity.

“A yawning gap is developing in artificial intelligence and big data, and there are about 3 billion people who are not taking advantage of the digital opportunity. Therefore, these data commons can aid in the democratisation of online opportunity. And in keeping with the SDGs’ mantra, “Leave no one behind,” “Gill included.

Data, according to the United Nations and Amb. Nagaraj Naidu, Joint Secretary, G20, is the foundation for accountability as well as the lifeblood of decision-making.

“New sources of data, new technologies and new analytical approaches, if applied responsibly, can enable more agile, efficient and evidence-based decision making and can better measure progress on the sustainable development goals in a way that is more inclusive, just and fair. India’s G20 presidency precisely aims at this very outcome,” Naidu added.

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