New Delhi (TDI): After years of attending G7 summits as a special invitee and basking in the spotlight from hosting last year’s G20 summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be part of the upcoming G7 summit in Ottawa, scheduled from June 15 to 17, according to multiple reports.
The G7, comprising the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, represents the world’s most advanced economies.
The European Union, United Nations, World Bank, and IMF also typically take part in the discussions.
In past years, India has been included as a guest to lend a broader global perspective to the dialogue.
However, this year’s summit, to be hosted by Canada, will reportedly see the participation of South Africa, Ukraine, and Australia as special invitees, with no confirmation of India’s presence.
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New Delhi has yet to receive an official invitation, according to Indian media reports. Ties between Canada and India need to improve significantly before a high-level visit from Prime Minister Modi could be considered.
Security concerns surrounding a potential visit have also been flagged, especially amid strained bilateral relations in recent months.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has twice said publicly that it has “no information” regarding any planned visit by Prime Minister Modi to Canada for the G7 summit.
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The absence marks a notable shift in optics, especially after India’s assertive global positioning during its G20 presidency in 2023.
Whether the strained ties between Ottawa and New Delhi played a decisive role remains a point of speculation.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
