Key Points

Reliance Foundation, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), and the United Nations in India held two flagship events on Wednesday, 24th September 2025, spotlighting India's and the Global South's innovations with thought-provoking conversations and insights, to help shape the final five years of the 2030 SDG agenda.

Technology, use of AI, India's leadership in DPI and democratisation of technology dominated conversations at the India Day @ UNGA events.

Inaugurated with an address by Ambassador Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Consul General, Consulate of India to New York, in his keynote speech, Amandeep Singh Gill, Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, United Nations spoke of a three-pronged approach to technology for South-South cooperation. S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India emphasised India's exploring AI applications for the social sector; Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, India, highlighted how India has reached a new phase of women's empowerment.

The valedictory address was delivered by Gargee Ghosh, President, Global Policy & Advocacy, Gates Foundation.

The highlight of the 2025 edition of India Day @ UNGA was the high-level evening conversation 'At the Heart of Development: Aid, Trade, and Technology' featuring a ministerial panel. The session explored how partnerships, technology, and trade frameworks are shaping inclusive growth in the Global South.

S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, India, spoke of blurring lines in global equations. "A year ago, it seemed clear that the world was heading towards greater unpredictability. We began by worrying about supply chains, but today's central challenges in international relations are: How does one de-risk, hedge, and become more resilient? It is too simplistic now to put the Global North and South in different baskets. We have had an accelerated move into a multipolar world," he said.

Recognising the importance of scientific leadership, Juan Ramon de la Fuente, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mexico, said, "Mexico occupies a unique geopolitical position. It's closely integrated with North American markets, and is among the world's most dynamic and powerful markets within the region. The leadership by our President, a woman scientist, is making a huge difference. The present calls for new creativity around international cooperation, and AI will be central to this creativity as new forms of interaction emerge between aid, trade and technology."

B Srinivasan, Executive Lead, Reliance Foundation, in a message shared, "India's journey towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is nothing short of remarkable. It reflects not only progress, but also the spirit of resilience, innovation, and inclusivity that India brings to the world. Our experiences and learnings offer pathways of ideas, action, and scale that can inspire the Global South and indeed, the global community."

"The publication Global Goals, Indian Vision: The Last Mile to 2030-- the third volume in this important series--shines a light on transformative solutions rooted in India's development journey, even as the world works towards the SDGs and India looks ahead to the historic vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. At Reliance Foundation, our commitment to strengthening India's development is inspired by Reliance's We Care philosophy--an enduring belief in building an inclusive and compassionate future. It is our privilege to walk alongside partners, governments, and communities, sharing India's learnings with the world, and together shaping solutions that can uplift lives everywhere," Srinivasan added.

Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator - India, said, "India has demonstrated leadership on SDG localisation, ensuring that efforts to achieve the Goals reach every state and district, and launching mission-mode programmes that reflect SDG priorities. It was also the first country to create its own subnational SDG Index. India's commitment to the Global South is exemplary - it's sharing its digital public infrastructure (DPI) model with many other states at no cost, for instance."

Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation, said, "The Observer ResearchFoundation is committed to building knowledge and innovation bridges between India and its key partners, by investing in communities that reflect diverse domains, perspectives, and aspirations. India Day @ UNGA embodies this ethic - bringing together global thinkers, businesses, and practitioners to debate, deliberate and commit to the defining policy challenge of our time: sustainable development."

"The story of the SDGs, adopted a decade ago, mirrors India's own development journey. We are delighted to launch 'Global Goals, Indian Vision: The Last Mile to 2030', a publication that captures the contours of this journey - one that has transformed the lives of hundreds of millions across the subcontinent. India's experience must serve as both an inspiration and a call to action for larger economies, big banks, and global institutions to recommit themselves to creating a truly people-first future," he added.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DP World, United Arab Emirates, said, "Trade is very resilient, but the new global order and rules are important. The IndiaMiddle East-Europe trade route will be critical in the years ahead. India-UAE bilateral trade has already begun to rise and we're seeing clear benefits from it. We expect trade between India and UAE to be 100 billion dollars this year."

Leslie Vinjamuri, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, United States, said India had set the example of how the G20 story is made and delivered concretely.

Discussions explored India's decade-long SDG journey, the role of technology and AI in driving development, women's leadership, and scalable last-mile solutions. It also featured the launch of 'Global Goals, Indian Vision: The Last Mile to 2030', a publication detailing India's SDG journey, key interventions, partnerships, collectives, and technology, with a roadmap for post-2030 development.

The 3rd in the series of publications on the SDGs, the book highlights the 3Ps--partnerships, people, and platforms--and provides a vision for development beyond 2030.

- ANI