New York: India's engagement with the Global South is ingrained in the "very fabric" of New Delhi's culture and philosophy, Ruchira Kamboj, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations said on Saturday (local time).

While addressing the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York, Kamboj said, "...As far as India is concerned, our engagement with the Global South is not just a matter of policy, it is ingrained in the very fabric of our culture and philosophy. Earlier this month, the G20 New Delhi leaders' declaration reinforced our commitment to the comprehensive development of fellow developing nations."

Kamboj recalled that India during the COVID-19 pandemic extended a helping hand by providing made-in-India vaccines to nearly 100 countries and supplying medicines to 150 nations.

"Many of you would recall that throughout the COVID pandemic, India had extended a helping hand by providing made-in-India vaccines to nearly 100 countries and supplying medicines to 150 nations, earning us the moniker 'The Pharmacy of the World,'" Ruchira Kamboj said.

Kamboj said that India's development partnerships have expanded significantly. She said that the India-UN Development Partnership Fund at the United Nations has successfully developed a portfolio of 75 projects across 56 developing nations in six years.

"Meantime, our development partnerships have also expanded significantly, reaching 78 nations across diverse regions and we have, over the past decade, initiated 600 projects that stand as a testament to our goodwill for our friends," Kamboj said.

"Capacity building is also at the core of our development philosophy, and we have offered training to 200,000 individuals from over 160 countries, prioritizing the needs of our partners. At the UN, the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, a single country South-South initiative, has successfully developed a portfolio of 75 projects across 56 developing countries in just 6 years," she added.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis and foreign ministers of other nations arrived to attend the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event. The leaders posed for the pictures before the start of the event.

Notably, EAM Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York, he will travel to Washington, DC.