Bharat Mandapam

The showpiece of the G20 summit in New Delhi was the newly unveiled Bharat Mandapam. The entire ITPO complex that has hosted trade fairs and state pavilions has been transformed into a large and well-equipped conference centre and several halls that provide space for displays and exhibitions. The break, as with other reconstructions like the new Central secretariat that is coming up along Kartavya Path, is in form and substance. The heavy green marble architecture of Vigyan Bhawan which has been the venue for domestic and international conferences in the past is a relic with its amphitheatre-like main hall. The annexes are a warren of offices with plywood separators and wiring that has been replaced several times. It was in fact a convenient place to house ‘commissions’ set up by the Centre whose reports governments of the day had no intention to act on. The Bharat Mandapam is a modern building with space for a sprawling media centre and stalls showcasing India’s art, culture and far-reaching initiatives like the digital economy and technology. Despite attempts by some social media handles to create controversy over water-logging at the new complex, the pumps and drains worked efficiently to clear the rain that came down in buckets over the G20 weekend. A senior bureaucrat who had sulked about being given the “routine” job of overseeing the ITPO upgrade must be ruing the missed opportunity.

Xi’s Staycation

After having objected to various aspects of India’s organisation of the G20 summit, including use of the phrase ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ on the specious grounds that Sanskrit is not recognised by the United Nations (UN), the Chinese delegation pretty much went with the flow of events at the summit. With India having worked out the contentious references to the Ukraine war with Moscow, there was not much of a role for the delegation led by Premier Li Qiang in the absence of President Xi Jinping. As things turned out China’s attempts to rain on India’s parade did not work out and it was perhaps fitting that Xi stayed away. If he had indeed shown up he would have been in the shade with no major engagements but having to suffer the US, India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and France announcing the India-Middle East-Europe corridor which is a clear plan to counter, or offer an alternative, to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). US President Joe Biden had a busy schedule which also included the Global Biofuel Alliance driven by India, Brazil and the US, with the event also attended by other dignitaries like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Having decided to stay at home, Xi spent his time with the rulers of Venezuela and Zambia who are looking to restructure their massive debt to Beijing. Hardly scintillating company for the head of the world’s “second superpower”.

Japan’s Overture

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was on his second visit to India for the G20 summit, having been here in March as well. His discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced several sectors reflecting the deepening relations between the two nations but he made no bones about the defence aspect when he met the media in New Delhi. He pointed out the joint military exercises and made plain that the objective was to deter the use of force in the Indo-Pacific. It is evident that the latest ‘map’ to be released by China showing large maritime tracts of its neighbouring nations as part of its zone of influence has done nothing to ease the concerns of several East Asian countries. Kishida remains keen to nurture and build on the ties envisioned by the late Shinzo Abe who perceptively understood the need to view the ‘Indo-Pacific’ as a strategic concept and found a willing ally in Modi.

The Razzle-Dazzle

The ability of India’s G20 secretariat to utilise the Indian presidency to put on a great show should not come as a surprise. The first meeting of G20 sherpas held in Udaipur provided ample evidence of Indian hospitality. The hotels by the lakeside provided seamless service and the cultural galas were spectacular. The laser-lighting of Delhi’s monuments that attracted considerable praise (barring the criticism from the usual suspects) was much in evidence at the old fort of Udaipur where a long parapet was turned into a stage for Indian dance spectacles and the backdrop highlighted a mosaic. The food menus at all the venues where G20 meetings have been held have been top-class with their special focus on millets. An Indian touch has been visible even in the spirits served to the delegates with foreign single malts replaced by homemade brands which, going by the rate at which they were depleted, seemed to have been rated highly by the dozens of multinational delegations that attended the deliberations.

Sunaks In India

The visit of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata attracted notice for their several photo-ops, including an early morning visit to the Akshardham temple. The coverage in the British press reveals that apart from the deliberations of G20 and the bilateral with Narendra Modi, domestic issues like the Rwanda plan that envisages sending migrants who land up on British shores seeking asylum to Rwanda on a one-way ticket also came up. Sunak sought the support of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for a deal he says is tough but fair. The main issue hanging between India and the UK, the much-discussed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), is still nowhere near completion and is running a year behind schedule. It seems political factors, including the approaching election, might have resulted in Sunak going slow. But as Indian officials point out, the FTA is what will really put India-UK ties on the forward path and rejuvenate a somewhat jaded relationship. Meanwhile, Akshata seems to have emerged as the ‘living bridge’ between Britain and India, perhaps more than her husband, going by the photos in the British press that paid some attention to her sartorial choices as well.

Political Notes

In the midst of the high-profile presence of world leaders and a focus on global diplomacy, there was some interesting domestic politics at play at Bharat Mandapam. Several chief ministers of non-NDA states accepted the invitation to attend the grand dinner and this included DMK chief MK Stalin who is rarely seen outside Tamil Nadu. Official photos of the event showed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Modi approaching each other and in the company of US President Joe Biden along with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Kumar has avoided events where he would be sharing the space with Modi after the break-up of the BJP-JD(U) alliance, choosing to send Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav instead. Kumar has been a key mover for an opposition alliance and it might be reading too much into his presence to suggest a shift. While Kumar may well be part of the INDIA alliance, some of his close aides who are strongly opposed to BJP might be watching their leader very closely. Implausible as any realignment may seem, Kumar has a well-earned reputation for switching sides.

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