G-7 & India | 09 Jun 2021

In the coming days, the summit of the Group of Seven (G-7) industrial countries is going to take place in the United Kingdom. In the context of Post-Covid-19 era, the summit promises to be a definitive moment in the political evolution of the Western countries as a group of nations.

Apart from this, the summit will also see the digital participation of Indian Prime Minister. For India, the G-7 summit is an opportunity to expand the global dimension of India’s growing partnerships with the US and Europe.

Thus, the summit can emerge as an important step towards a new global compact between India and the West.

G-7: Background

• The G7 was created as a consultation of industrialized economies, all of which have been democracies since the grouping’s origins in 1975.
• The original G6 included the United States, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, with Canada joining to make the G7 by 1976.
• Russia participated in the G8 from 1998 to 2014 until its invasion of Ukraine’s Crimea caused the group to eject it.

Significance of G-7 Summit For India

• America First To America is Back: Former US President Donald Trump’s “America First” policies weakened the US hegemony. Now US President Joe Biden is determined to strengthen US alliances and draw India into a new global architecture.
• Need for a Strong G-7 Coalition: The need for reinvigoration of G-7 emanates from the challenges put forward by increasingly aggressive China, the urgency of mitigating climate change, and the construction of a post-pandemic international order.
  
  • These challenges are generating an unprecedented convergence between the interests of India and the West.
• G-7 to G-11: Not a long time ago, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the G-7 of the world’s most developed nations was “outdated” and proposed to expand it.
  
  • Now, the move to invite India, Australia, South Africa and South Korea to this can be seen as a possible step onwards upgradation of G-7 to G-11.
  • The idea of a G-11 also can emerge as a global democratic coalition and India is at the very heart of this narrative.
  • Further, the proposed G-11 grouping would recognise India’s place amongst the world’s richest nations, and acknowledge its global voice.
• Countering China: India now can’t escape the conclusion that China is the greatest obstacle to India’s global aspirations.
  
  • Thus, forming a western pivot which includes strong bilateral strategic cooperation with the US, France, UK, EU as well as the Quad can help India counter China.
  • India is also eager to emerge as a critical node in future supply chains oriented to the democratic world, including in the area of vaccine production.
• Easing Navigation Among Great Powers: With Russia also invited at the G-7 summit, India now hopes that a renewed dialogue between US and Russia can lead to a relaxation of tensions between them and will ease India’s navigation among the great powers.

Associated Challenges With G-7 & India

• Clash of Interests: The growing convergence of interests between India and the West does not mean the two sides will agree on everything.
  
  • After all, there are many areas of continuing divergence within the West — from the economic role of the state to the democratic regulation of social media and the technology giants.
• Internal Tussle Within G-7: An evaluation of the G-7’s effectiveness as a multilateral forum thus far is needed, given deep member differences on issues including climate change, security contributions, Iran, etc.
• Emerging New Cold War: Despite its border tensions with China, India must also consider its objectives in attending a grouping that appears aimed at fuelling a new Cold War between the U.S. and China.

Conclusion

While India continues to strengthen its partnerships in Asia and the global south, a more productive partnership with the West helps secure a growing array of India’s national interests and adds a new depth to India’s international relations.

However, this would require sustained negotiations on converting shared interests — on reforming the global economic order, mitigating climate change, promoting greener growth, making the world immune to future pandemics, and constructing trusted supply chains — into concrete outcomes.