By Ambassador Dr. Mohan Kumar, Professor and Dean of the Office of International Affairs & Global Initiatives, O.P. Jindal Global University

On 1 December, India assumed the presidency of the G20 for the first time.  This is a momentous event for India and for the G20, at a crucial time in the world.

The presidency offers both opportunities and challenges. Opportunities, because India can help set the global agenda, push for reconciliation/resolution of at least some of the global issues and finally, offer solutions to problems based on its own experience. Challenges, because the world is polarised, there are intractable problems at hand and unexpected ‘black swan’ events may emerge.