The high cost of hosting global prestige on the ground

Cultures · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While world leaders gathered in New Delhi to discuss multi-billion dollar economic corridors and sustainable growth, a different reality unfolded for the city's most vulnerable residents. The summit’s physical preparation triggered a massive urban overhaul that displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

The 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi served as a primary stage for high-level geopolitical cooperation, specifically focusing on the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI). Under the co-hosting of President Biden and Prime Minister Modi, the summit aimed to bridge the infrastructure gap in low- and middle-income countries. Key announcements included the landmark India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor—a massive project intended to link Europe and Asia via a railway through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel—and efforts to expand the Lobito Corridor in Africa to diversify electric vehicle supply chains.

However, the logistical demands of hosting such an event necessitated significant domestic intervention. In the months leading up to the summit, Indian authorities initiated a large-scale demolition drive across New Delhi. The Archaeological Survey of India and other agencies targeted illegal structures, homeless shelters, and slum neighborhoods to clear space for the international gathering. While officials cited legal orders and safety requirements, these actions had a profound human impact on the city's marginalized populations.

The scale of this displacement was significant: estimates from local collectives suggest that between 250,000 and 300,000 people were forced to leave their homes. In Delhi alone, nearly 25 slum settlements were leveled in areas such as Yamuna Bank, Tughlaqabad, and Mehrauli. This creates a stark juxtaposition between the summit's stated goals of 'inclusive and sustainable growth' for the Global South and the immediate, localized displacement experienced by those living on the city's periphery.

This tension highlights a recurring theme in international diplomacy: the friction between the macro-level aspirations of global governance and the micro-level realities of urban development. While the G20 dialogue prioritized debt restructuring and green development for the 21st century, the physical preparation of the venue required a rapid, often harsh, reconfiguration of existing social spaces.

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