G20 Summit to democratisation of tech: Full transcript of PM Modi’s interview

Following is the transcript of PTI’s exclusive interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi:

Question: You have said India will be third largest economy by 2030. Where do you see India in the Amritkaal year of 2047.

Prime Minister: For a long time in world history, India was one of the top economies of the world. Later, due to the impact of colonization of various kinds, our global footprint was reduced. But now, India is again on the rise. The speed with which we jumped five spots, from the 10th largest economy to the 5th largest in less than a decade has conveyed the fact that India means business!

We have democracy, demography and diversity with us. As I said, now a fourth D is getting added to it – development. I have said earlier too that the period till 2047 is a huge opportunity. Indians who are living in this era have a great chance to lay a foundation for growth that will be remembered for the next 1,000 years!

The nation is also realizing the enormity of this moment. This is why, you see an unprecedented rise across multiple domains. We have a century of unicorns and are the third-largest startup hub. Our space sector’s achievements are being celebrated the world over. In almost every global sports event, India is breaking all previous records. More universities are entering the top rankings of the world year after year.

With such momentum, I am positive that we will be in the top three economies in the near future. By 2047, I am sure that our country will be among the developed countries. Our economy will be even more inclusive and innovative. Our poor people will comprehensively win the battle against poverty. Health, education and social sector outcomes will be among the best in the world. 

Corruption, casteism and communalism will have no place in our national life. The quality of life of our people will be at par with the best countries of the world. Most importantly, we will achieve all of this while caring for both nature and culture.

Question: When you set the 2070 goal you saw fossil fuels playing a dominant role in countries like India, which was frowned upon by the West. But most of the countries in the world realized the importance of fossil fuels post Ukraine conflict with some in Europe switching back to coal and gas. How do you see the climate change targets progressing in the post-Ukraine war era.

Prime Minister: Our principle is simple – diversity is our best bet, whether in society or in terms of our energy mix. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Given the different pathways countries are on, our pathways for energy transition will be different.

Despite having 17 per cent of the world’s population, India’s historic share in cumulative emissions has been less than 5 per cent. Yet, we have left no stone unturned in meeting our climate goals. I have already spoken about our various achievements in this domain in my reply to an earlier question. So, we are certainly on track while also tailoring in various factors needed to ensure growth.

As for the future of the fight against climate change, I am extremely positive about it. We are working with other nations to alter the approach from a restrictive to a constructive approach. Rather than focusing purely on the approach of do not do this or that, we want to bring in an attitude that makes people and nations aware of what they can do and help them with that, in terms of finance, technology and other resources.

Question: Cyber crimes have added a new dimension to the fight against money laundering and terrorism. On a scale of 1 to 10 where should G-20 be placing it and where it is presently.

Prime Minister: Cyber threats are to be taken very seriously. One angle of their adverse impact is the financial losses they cause. The World Bank estimates that cyber-attacks could have caused losses of around USD 5.2 trillion to the world during 2019-2023. But their impact goes beyond just financial aspects into activities that are deeply worrying. These can have social and geopolitical implications.

Cyberterrorism, online radicalization, use of networked platforms to move funds from money laundering to drugs and terrorism – are just the tip of the iceberg. Cyberspace has introduced an entirely new dimension to the battle against illicit financial activities and terrorism. Terrorist organizations are using technology for radicalisation, moving money from money laundering and drugs into terror funding, and capitalizing on emerging digital avenues such as the dark net, metaverse, and cryptocurrency platforms to fulfil their nefarious aims.

Further, they can also have implications for the social fabric of nations. The spread of ‘deep fakes’ can cause chaos and loss of credibility of news sources. Fake news and deep fakes can be used to fuel social unrest. So, it is of concern to every group, every nation, and every family.

That is why we have taken this up as a priority. We hosted a G20 Conference on Crime and Security in the age of NFTs, Artificial Intelligence and Metaverse. During this conference, concern was expressed over malicious cyber activities contrary to established norms, principles and rules of cyberspace and international law. It was stressed that coordination on prevention and mitigation strategies is needed. Emphasis was placed on the need to achieve a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of ICTs for criminal purposes.

There may be many domains in which global cooperation is desirable. But in the domain of cyber security, global cooperation is not only desirable but is inevitable. Because the threat dynamics are distributed – handlers are somewhere, assets are somewhere else, they are speaking through servers hosted in a third place, and their funding could come from a completely different region. Unless all the nations in the chain cooperate, very little is possible.

Question: The UN is increasingly being seen as a talk shop, which has failed to resolve most pressing issues facing the world. Can G-20 be a platform to reinvent multilateral institutions to make them more relevant to today’s challenges and give India its rightful place in the global order. How important is the media’s role in highlighting this.

Prime Minister: Today’s world is a multipolar world where institutions are extremely important for a rules-based order that is fair and sensitive to all concerns.

However, institutions can retain relevance only when they change with the times. A mid-20th century approach cannot serve the world in the 21st century. So, our international institutions need to recognize changing realities, expand their decision-making forums, relook at their priorities and ensure representation of voices that matter.

When this is not done on time, then smaller or regional forums begin to attain more importance. The G20 is certainly one of the institutions that is being looked at with hope by many countries. Because the world is looking for actions and outcomes, no matter where they come from.

India’s Presidency of the G-20 has come at such a juncture. In this context, India’s position within the global framework becomes especially pertinent. As a diverse nation, the Mother of Democracy, the home to one of the world’s largest populations of youth, and the growth engine of the world, India has a lot to contribute to the shaping of the future of the world.

The G20 has provided a platform for India to further its human-centric vision and also collaboratively work towards innovative solutions to problems that are faced by humanity as a whole.

In this journey, the media serves as a conduit for awareness and understanding of changed global realities, India’s strides and the need for our international institutions to reform.

Updated: 03 Sep 2023, 06:21 PM IST