Spotlight on digital skilling, cyber security, DPI at G20 working group meet

Spotlight on digital skilling, cyber security, DPI at G20 working group meet

The spotlight was on digital skilling, digital public infrastructure (DPI) and cybersecurity in digital economy at the second meeting of G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG), a three-day programme in Hyderabad, on which curtains came down on Wednesday.

As many as 81 delegates from the G20 member countries, eight guest countries, five international organisations and one regional organisation participated in the deliberations on the three priority areas. They discussed the critical role of digital skilling in shaping the digital transformation and on creating future ready workforce. In doing so, the emphasis was on pursuing an inclusive development, the organisers said in a release summing up the discussions.

Similarly, different facets of the other two priority areas -- digital public infrastructure and cyber security in digital economy were also discussed in detail. Towards bringing coherence among various working groups and parallel tracks of G20, the respective leads from GPFI (The Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion) and the Health working group also presented their progress and linkage with DEWG. DPI initiatives, especially those related to financial inclusion and universal digital healthcare and their impacts in India, were highlighted.

The opening day, on April 17, featured three thematic sessions, including on topics such as ‘High speed mobile broadband and its impacts’, ‘Digital inclusion – connecting the unconnected’ and ‘Sustainable green digital infrastructure: challenges and opportunities’. More than 350 people participated in the thematic sessions related to digital connectivity, organised as a part of the side event.

The delegates to the G20 DEWG also visited IIT-Hyderabad and experienced India’s path-breaking projects and cutting-edge research in the field of digital and telecom technologies such as 5G products, 5G base stations, 6G system prototypes, autonomous navigation testbed and AI-powered RNA- electronic test kit.

MeitY Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma and Joint Secretary Sushil Pal addressed the meeting on April 18, which also saw a multi-stakeholder workshop on ‘Mutual recognition framework on digital skills’. Over the three days, several cultural programmes were organised and the richness of Indian culture, cuisine, arts and folk forms were showcased to the delegates. As a next step, a series of bilateral and multi-lateral meetings among the G20 members will be held. The third in-person meeting of DEWG is planned for June in Pune.