First G20 Digital Economy Working Group Meeting Concludes in Lucknow

The first G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting in India concluded at Lucknow on Wednesday. The Chair of G20-DEWG and Secretary, MeitY Alkesh Kumar Sharma, in his press brief shared the key highlights of the last three days. 

According to Sharma, the meeting has set the tone for productive and meaningful deliberations for the future DEWG meetings. The three-day meeting, which took place in Lucknow, showcased India's digital transformation journey, and brought together G20 members, key knowledge partners, and guest countries to discuss digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital skilling.

The inauguration day was showcased by five workshops that covered various topics related to digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity solutions for MSMEs, sustainable development goals, and the use of geospatial technologies. In addition, the meeting showcased digital initiatives from the state of Uttar Pradesh.

On the second day, the DEWG meeting began with a keynote address from India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, followed by insightful presentations and interventions from participants. Subsequently, the delegates discussed two priority areas namely Digital Pubic Infrastructure and Cyber security were discussed at length and expressed their willingness for further deliberations in subsequent working group meetings for greater shared understanding.

In the second half of the day, the participants embarked on an excursion to bara Imambara, a historic monument that is widely considered an architectural masterpiece. The day ended on a high note with the sound, light and dance shows, creating a magical and memorable atmosphere for all.

The final and the third day of the meeting focused on the priority of Digital Skilling.  India proposed mechanisms for digitally skilled future ready workforce. The member nations appreciated the inclusion of digital skilling in the DEWG agenda and supported ndia’s proposed priority areas broadly. Summary discussions were also held on three key priority areas namely Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Cyber Security in Digital Economy and Digital Skilling. The Co-Chair and Joint Secretary, MeitY Sushil Pal made the concluding remarks. 

Sharma added that this DEWG meeting is the first of four scheduled to be conducted in India, with the next ones taking place in Pune, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.