ICCR's 75th anniversary celebrations: EAM Jaishankar highlights impact of India's G20 Presidency

Speaking at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Jaishankar said, "The journey of development in the Amrit Kaal is based on the twin tracks of tradition and technology... Let me make a reference here to our G20 presidency because perhaps there are a few events in recent times which brought out the importance of bringing the world to India more effectively than that presidency. In that particular year, we saw the most effective influencers of the world of our times come, see and leave impressed."

"Two years later, we are still seeing the reverberations of that presidency, which I believe will continue further. Just as we wish the world to understand us better, it is important that Indians, too, develop a good feel for other societies and cultures. This is the domain in which ICCR has long been active," he added.

Jaishankar also underscored the significance of cultural exchange and discussed India's growing confidence in expressing its identity and reviving its rich cultural heritage, from languages gaining "classical status" to the global recognition of Yoga and Ayurveda.

He said, "Our nation and our society have changed profoundly. Today, we are by any measure more confident, authentic and committed than before in terms of expressing our identity and promoting its understanding. Within the country there is a much sharper awareness of our culture, heritage and traditions... Traditions and inheritance that were long neglected have now been revived. More languages enjoy classical status and our habits and practices, whether we speak of Yoga, Ayurveda or millets, they are receiving a new impetus and momentum..."

The G20 Summit was held in the national capital in September 2023 and was attended by several world leaders, including then US President Joe Biden and UK PM Rishi Sunak, and Italy PM Giorgia Meloni, amongst others.