Modi posits India as a responsible global stakeholder at the G7

With the world battling three major issues- post-pandemic recovery, spiralling inflation, and food and energy security, there is a genuine expectation that the group of richest countries will address these issues. However, the Ukraine issue dominated the G7 meeting themed on ‘progress towards an equitable world’ held at Elmau Schloss, Germany. The Ukraine issue jolted the post-pandemic global economy by exacerbating the food crisis and energy supplies. To this end, G7 pledged $4.5 billion to increase food security through Global Alliance on Food Security.

Another major announcement of the summit has been a $600 billion Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII)¹ over the next five years for the emerging economies as an alternative to China’s BRI. Additionally, G7 plans to step up cooperation and foster Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP) with Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa, the countries invited for this year’s summit. Pledging corruption-free, transparent, sustainable, environmentally compliant, and value-driven infrastructure development, the US plans to mobilise investments in collaboration with G7 allies (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada) and the EU.  The US will contribute $200 billion and the rest by the other G7 countries and the EU.

Highlighting the plan, Biden said, PGII will “deliver returns for everyone, including the American people and the people of all our nations” and EU commissioner Ursula summarised, “it is up to us to give a positive, powerful investment impulse to the World, to show our partners in the developing world that they have a choice”. Last year, G7 has launched the Build Back Better World (B3W) Partnership with great fanfare but the initiative could hardly kick-off. Harsh Pant opines, “PGII is an attempt to rectify past problems and make it operational quickly”.

In fact, prior to the B3W Partnership, in November 2019, the US, Australia and Japan unveiled Blue Dot Network (BDN) – to certify public-private investments in global infrastructure and establish standards for infrastructural development. Even the 2018 edition of the G7 Declaration at Charlevoix, Canada, evinced the interest of democratic countries for quality infrastructure. It remains to be seen whether it can match the BRI. Noticeably, there is a palpable enthusiasm amongst the democratic countries to take on an authoritarian China. But unfortunately, none of the initiatives of the West were successful in wooing the developing countries.

Additionally, to combat future pandemics, the summit has announced G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness and promised 1.175 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines. For all the grand rhetoric, the G7 had always fallen short in delivering its promises. Ostensibly, this edition might be no different as countries were keen on condemning Russia for an “illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine” and pledging to stand with Ukraine “as long as it takes”. G7 agreed to impose unprecedented sanctions which included a ban on Russia’s gold imports with a proposal for a cap on Russian oil exports to developing countries.

Pledging to phase out energy imports from Russia, without compromising on climate goals, some European countries retreated to firing up the coal plants much for their commitment to “accelerating phase-out of domestic unabated coal power”. Given, the reliance of European countries on Russia for energy supplies, and the war showing no signs of ceasing, facing domestic backlash due to soaring inflation rates, there are now mild fissures in the combined front anti-Russia front. But President Biden, who is in no mood for reconciliation while assuring resolute political, military and financial support has urged for ‘unity’ at the G7 platform.

Thanking the German Chancellor for his efforts in keeping the alliance together, Biden said, “we have to stay together. Because Putin has been counting on from the beginning that somehow NATO and G7 would splinter”. “But we haven’t, and we’re not going to”². The G7 which evolved from being an ad-hoc gathering of Finance Ministers in 1973 transitioned into a high-level formal meeting to discussing wide-ranging global issues, especially trade, security, economics and climate change, has morphed into a strategic security forum.

India is now a regular invitee to the G7 as a partner country. Ahead of the summit, given India’s persistence to give in to the pressures of the West to condemn Russian action against Ukraine, fabricated media reports of Germany debating whether to invite Prime Minister Modi to the G7 summit attempted to isolate India. Blunting these chequered narratives, Chancellor Scholz personally invited PM Modi to attend the G7 summit during the Inter-Governmental Consultations (ICG). Days after the virtual BRICS summit, PM Modi travelled to Elmau for G7.

Being the largest democracy in the world with huge economic growth and market potential, India has now become a magnet for the G7 countries and the EU. India’s climate change action, renewable energy goals, green energy transitions, and Vaccine Maitri with a promise of advancing global challenges are bolstering New Delhi’s image as a global stakeholder. India’s victories at the recently concluded 12^th WTO Ministerial Meeting regarding illegal fishing, subsidies to farmers and patent waiver for vaccines have positioned it as a steadfast representative of the developing countries.

Relentless pursuits of media narratives to denigrate India hasn’t deterred the interests of the G7 to partner with India. Much for the focus on India signing a communique of virtues- 2022 Resilient Democracies³, that underscores Freedom of Speech, PM Modi used the high-profile platform to meet Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen and recalibrated ties with Canadian President Justin Trudeau. As a special gesture, Modi gifted the leaders exquisite pieces of Indian traditional crafts.

With apocryphal effectiveness, an engagement with the G7, with huge economic clout, is a place for important global conversations. Speaking at the session on “Investing in a better future: Climate, Health, Energy”, Modi brought back the focus of the group to the global energy crisis stating, “access to energy should be a privilege of the rich and the poor should have an equal right to energy” and asked the G7 countries to invest in the emerging market of clean energy technologies in India. He added, “when a large country like India shows such ambition, other developing countries also get inspiration. We hope that the rich countries of G7 will support India’s efforts”. Consummately introducing a slice of India’s timeless civilizational knowledge, Modi said, India accounts for 17% of the global population but is responsible for 5% of global emissions. “The main reason behind this is our lifestyle, which is based on the theory of co-existence with nature”⁴.

Indeed, India’s willingness to offer solutions to global challenges together with its credentials as a security provider of the region and the first responder in offering assistance during emergencies echoed its reputation as a reliable partner. Further India’s diplomatic elan in engaging with diverse multilateral partners without siding with any country and adopting a principled stand in the pursuit of national interests amid these global uncertainties and disruptions, is positing New Delhi as a responsible stakeholder.

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