India and the G7 Summit 2025: Time for Strategic Reassessment

The recently concluded G7 Summit and Outreach Session in Kananaskis, Canada has reignited a long-standing debate on India’s role and returns from participating in exclusive, Western-led forums like the G7. Far from being a demonstration of unity and global leadership, the 2025 summit reflected an increasingly fragmented and ineffective multilateral platform. The event ended without a consensus statement, exposed deep divisions among the member states, and failed to meaningfully address critical issues of concern to India most notably terrorism and transnational extremism.

India, a regular invitee to G7 outreach sessions, now faces a crucial question: Should it continue to engage in these forums with limited influence and diminishing returns, or recalibrate its multilateral strategy in line with evolving global realities?

What is the G7?

The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental forum comprising seven of the world’s most advanced economies- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Originally established in the 1970s to coordinate macroeconomic policy among industrialized nations, it has evolved into a forum addressing wider issues including international security, climate change, development, and technological cooperation.

However, the G7’s relevance and legitimacy have increasingly been questioned, particularly because it excludes major emerging economies such as India, China, and Brazil. While the group still commands significant economic weight and geopolitical influence, it no longer reflects the broader contours of the 21st-century multipolar world.

India’s Position in the G7 Process:

India is not a permanent member of the G7, but it has frequently been invited to participate in Outreach Sessions, especially when global South perspectives are sought. These outreach platforms offer India an opportunity to:

Engage with the world's top economic powers.
Contribute to discussions on global governance.
Highlight concerns of the developing world.
Pursue bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

Yet, India’s role remains largely symbolic, with little or no say in the drafting of final declarations or in shaping the agenda. The asymmetry in participation often results in India's strategic interests being sidelined, as was the case at the 2025 summit.

Key Outcomes of the 2025 G7 Summit:

The 2025 summit was held against the backdrop of multiple global crises, including:

The protracted Russia-Ukraine war.
Escalating tensions in West Asia, including the Israel-Iran conflict and bombings in Gaza.
Rising concerns over U.S. trade policies under President Donald Trump.
Growing geopolitical rivalry with China.

However, despite the urgency of these challenges, the summit failed to deliver a coherent or united response. Among the most notable outcomes:

No joint statement was issued due to disagreement over contentious issues.
The United States blocked a statement that criticized Israel or called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Discussions on terrorism, strongly pushed by India, were not reflected in any official outcome.
A Chair’s Summary was released instead, focusing on less controversial themes such as artificial intelligence, critical minerals, climate resilience, and quantum computing.

Perhaps the only modest success was the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which led to an agreement to restore diplomatic ties and resume the exchange of High Commissioners, a relationship that had been strained due to the Nijjar controversy and associated Khalistani extremism concerns.

Why This Summit is Being Viewed as a Diplomatic Failure?

Internal Divisions Within the G7

The summit starkly revealed the widening fissures among the G7 members:

U.S. President Trump’s ambiguous stance on Ukraine and overt support for Israel drew criticism from European allies.
Trump’s proposal to expand the G7 into a “G9” by including Russia and China alienated other members and undermined the group's identity.
The lack of consensus on key security challenges led to the absence of any concrete joint communique.

Ignoring India’s Core Concerns

India had expected the summit to strongly address:

Terrorism and cross-border extremism.
Transnational repression and foreign interference.
Challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

However, the Chair’s Summary included only a vague reference to “transnational repression” without naming any country. While this could be interpreted as a reference to allegations by Canada, China, and others, it did not substantively address the threats India faces from state-sponsored extremism and proxy violence.

Broader Implications for India:

The failure of the summit raises larger questions about India’s strategy toward Western multilateral platforms:

Limited Return on Diplomatic Investment

India’s participation involved high-level political and diplomatic resources, including the Prime Minister’s travel across continents. However, the outcomes did not justify the scale of engagement, especially when India’s core concerns were left unaddressed.

Symbolic vs. Substantive Engagement

India’s recurring presence at G7 summits underscores its growing global profile. But unless these forums provide substantive outcomes, they risk becoming performative rather than policy-shaping.

Relevance of G7 in Today’s World

The G7’s lack of inclusiveness and increasing inability to deliver unified responses to global crises call into question its relevance. In contrast, platforms like G20, BRICS, SCO, and QUAD, where India has more weight and influence, offer greater potential for aligning global governance with Indian interests.

The Way Forward: Strategic Reassessment

Given the outcomes of the 2025 summit, India must now reconsider the utility of attending G7 Outreach Sessions, especially when:

Participation does not guarantee agenda-setting power.
Key Indian priorities are persistently underplayed or ignored.
The forum fails to reflect the diversity and dynamics of the Global South.

Strategic Recommendations:

Refocus on Equitable Multilateral Forums
India should deepen its engagement in G20, BRICS, and SCO, platforms that better reflect emerging world realities and where India has a greater say.
Evaluate the Cost-Benefit of Symbolic Participation
Before attending summits like the G7, the Ministry of External Affairs must assess the diplomatic ROI are India's core objectives being met?
Push for Reform of Global Governance Structures
India should continue advocating for restructuring elite clubs like the G7 or replacing them with broader coalitions that include emerging powers.
Lead from the Global South
As a major developing economy, India should position itself as a leading voice of the Global South, highlighting equity, development, and non-Western security priorities.

Conclusion:

The 2025 G7 Summit was not just a missed opportunity, it was a mirror to the declining coherence of the G7 and the challenges India faces in engaging with such forums. While symbolic inclusion affirms India’s diplomatic stature, it must be matched with policy influence, meaningful engagement, and agenda alignment. Without these, participation in G7 Outreach Sessions may remain a ceremonial exercise rather than a strategic gain.

India’s foreign policy apparatus must now undertake a sober evaluation of the costs, benefits, and future direction of its involvement in the G7. In a world moving toward multipolarity, India’s diplomatic energy may be better invested in platforms where its voice is not just heard, but valued.