Sitharaman highlights India's policy response to Covid at G20 meet

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday highlighted India's policy response to Covid-19 pandemic and the world's largest inoculation drive during a meeting with her G-20 counterparts.

Speaking at the virtual meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, she said India's domestic policies have been based broadly on supporting citizens through measures such as credit guarantees, direct transfers, food guarantees, economic stimulus packages and accelerating structural reforms.

Sitharaman also spoke about India's vaccination programme, which is the world's largest and the most ambitious vaccination drive. The Finance Minister also mentioned that India has extended vaccine support to several countries, an official statement said.

This was the first such meeting under Italian Presidency and it discussed policy actions for transformative and equitable recovery along with other issues on the agenda, including global economic outlook, financial sector issues, financial inclusion and sustainable finance.

During the meeting, G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors also discussed the implications of climate change on global growth and financial stability.