G20: How it works and India's priorities in the cycle
The G20 runs on sherpas, finance tracks and a rotating presidency. The exam tests how the forum works, what India's priorities in the current cycle are, and where the two connect.
The institutional facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Members | 19 countries + EU + African Union (2023) |
| Format | Sherpa track + Finance track |
| Presidency | Rotates annually |
| Troika | Past, present and future presidencies together |
Source: G20: official site
India's 2023 presidency legacy
India's Delhi Summit delivered four exam-anchored outcomes.
African Union membership. The African Union was admitted as a full member, the first membership change since the forum's founding.
The Global Biofuel Alliance. Launched at Delhi.
IMEC. The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor was announced on the summit's sidelines.
The Voice of Global South. Summits convened by India ahead of the main summit became an institutional innovation.
India's continuing asks
Four positions recur.
Multilateral development banks. India pushes reform, higher lending headroom and IMF quota realignment.
Debt. It presses implementation of the Common Framework for distressed economies.
Digital public infrastructure. It exports the UPI–India Stack model as a development tool.
Counter-terrorism and cyber. It keeps the finance-track agenda sharp.
The distinctions that carry the exam
G20 versus G7. The G20 includes the emerging economies, India, China, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia. The G7 is the rich-country club.
The troika. The previous, current and incoming presidencies work together for continuity. India held a troika position through its 2023 year.
Sherpas. The leaders' personal representatives who prepare summit outcomes. The term itself has been a question.
Prelims traps
| Statement | True or False |
|---|---|
| "The African Union joined the G20 in 2023" | True |
| "The G20 has 20 member countries" | False. 19 countries plus EU and AU |
| "The Global Biofuel Alliance launched at the Delhi Summit" | True |
| "The troika includes the next presidency" | True |
Part of: India and the World, April to June 2026
Read next: BRICS Summit 2026 · UNGA 81
Source: G20 secretariat; Ministry of External Affairs.