30 June 2022, NIICE Commentary 8110
Arushi Anthal
Recently US National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby stated that India was invited to the G7 because the agenda is “deep and diverse” and “it is not about trying to splinter them off” from Russia. He emphasised that there was no intention to divide or entice them away from forming “any other association or partnership that they might have with another country”. South Africa, Indonesia, Argentina, and Senegal were among the other non-G7 members who recently attended the G7 Summit 2022 in Germany. “Progress towards an equitable world” is the goal of Germany’s presidency starting this year.
In comparison to previous summits, the outreach events are far more integrated, and the guest countries interacted in a more open manner. G7 Summit reiterated its commitment to stand with Ukraine and with respect to the rising climate crisis, the G7 agreed to “establish an open and cooperative Climate Club by the end of 2022”. Furthermore, G7 declared establishment of “Alliance for Global Food Security” to fight hunger crisis and affirmed its commitment to enhance global health and to reduce reliance on Russia for energy by phasing out Russian coal and oil and shifting toward renewable energy sources.
There are specific agenda items to which India contributed. These include environmental, energy, and climate issues, as well as food security, health, gender equality, and democracy. At the G-7 summit in Germany, PM Modi participated in two sessions on “Investing in a Better Future: Climate, Energy, Health and Food Security” and signed a declaration for resilient democracies in which the signatory countries reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the freedom, impartiality, and diversity of civil society actors as well as to defend the right to free expression both online and offline. The Global Initiative for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign, whose goal is to promote an environmentally friendly way of living, was another initiative highlighted by PM Modi.
The inclusion of India in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) is another key takeaway. The G7 intends to work with India, Indonesia, Senegal, and Vietnam to use the JETP to balance the needs of achieving the SDGs while reducing carbon emissions. It began at COP26 with South Africa as a long-term ambitious approach to help with the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. In the current scenario, when Russian energy is being abandoned, G7 countries find this to be a useful exercise for themselves for more prospects.
Lastly, the announcement that the United States would lead the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) becomes another concern for India as to how will India be placed in it. The PGII aims to bridge the infrastructure gap in developing countries, strengthen global economic and supply chains, and contribute to US security among its allies.
India is working to improve collaboration with the G7 and also with other visiting countries. And the goal does not end here. For instance, India is one of the first countries to receive large-scale additional funding for the green economy and infrastructure which occurred during the Modi-Scholz IGC in May, when Germany announced a €10 billion contribution. This is a promising start that positions India as a trustworthy partner. The regular participation in such summits also improves India’s standing. Despite disagreements amongst G7 member countries with regard to Ukraine, India is a key ally for the majority of their goals. India’s strategic independence in foreign policy was demonstrated by its ability to travel from the BRICS summit to the G7.
Despite differing approaches, for the first time, the official communiqué of the G7 conference expressly highlighted competition with China which can be seen as a significant departure from its prior summits. India’s participation in numerous international gatherings highlights its position as a relevant leader and a bridge between the developing and developed worlds as well as between the West and the Global South. India’s involvement shows its increasing influence in the world stage, but it is yet unclear how successful such participations might be in the future.
Arushi Anthal is Research Intern at NIICE.
