Prime Minister Narendra Modi will represent India at the 2025 G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17. As global leaders gather to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of the modern era, Modi’s participation underscores India’s rising strategic importance and its growing role in shaping a new international order.
Hosted by Canada under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the summit will convene the heads of state from the world’s seven major industrialized democracies—Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan—alongside the European Union. India’s invitation as a guest country highlights the G7’s recognition of New Delhi’s influence, particularly amid shifting global power structures and regional tensions.
Modi’s visit will focus on strengthening India’s relationships with the G7 nations while promoting cooperation on key issues like energy security, AI regulation, economic development, and global governance reforms. This will be Modi’s first participation in the G7 under Carney’s presidency and comes as India continues to push for a more multipolar and representative world system.
India’s foreign ministry stated, “Prime Minister Modi will reaffirm India’s commitment to multilateral cooperation and will advocate for inclusive, sustainable solutions that benefit all of humanity, especially the Global South.”
The summit takes place in Kananaskis, a scenic yet secluded mountain region in Canada’s Alberta province. The location was previously chosen for the 2002 G8 Summit, which was praised for its focused and productive outcomes. This year, the G7 will address several headline topics, including the climate crisis, global economic volatility, and threats to democratic institutions.
For India, the summit is not only about dialogue but diplomacy. Bilateral engagements between Modi and key G7 leaders—including U.S. President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba—are expected to be a major highlight. Topics such as Indo-Pacific stability, digital governance, and defense collaboration are likely to top these conversations.
India’s strategic value has grown steadily, not just as a regional power, but as a voice of balance in global affairs. Amid increasing polarization between major powers, India has often taken a centrist position—advocating peace, cooperation, and rule-based international order. Its performance in leading the G20 in 2023 cemented its role as a credible and responsible global stakeholder.
Analysts believe that Modi’s presence at the summit will enhance India’s ability to influence the G7’s policy directions. “India no longer attends these summits as a peripheral actor,” said Dr. Rohit Kapoor, a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. “It arrives with ideas, experience, and an agenda aligned with both its national interests and global responsibilities.”
India is also expected to champion issues that disproportionately affect developing nations, such as debt relief, climate adaptation finance, and vaccine access. Modi will likely press for G7 support on expanding concessional financing for green energy transitions and call for more inclusive trade systems that empower emerging economies.
India’s own domestic developments—its fast-growing economy, innovation in digital infrastructure, and strides in clean energy—will provide Modi with strong material to present India as a global success story. The country’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), for instance, has become a global model for digital financial inclusion, and its leadership in solar energy and green hydrogen has garnered worldwide attention.
Environmental sustainability will be a central theme of the 2025 G7 Summit. India, despite its developmental challenges, has taken bold steps toward decarbonization. With its target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and its role in the International Solar Alliance, India will advocate for pragmatic, differentiated climate responsibilities between developed and developing countries.
India’s growing geopolitical clout is also closely tied to its diplomatic balancing act. In an increasingly fragmented global landscape, New Delhi has maintained strong ties with both Western democracies and regional powers across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. This enables India to act as a bridge—bringing fresh ideas to the G7 and offering a broader lens to complex issues.
The Kananaskis summit, while formal in structure, also provides space for informal interactions. These moments are often where trust is built and long-term collaboration begins. Modi’s ability to engage in such settings has been noted in previous summits, where his one-on-one diplomacy has often translated into significant partnerships.
With many G7 countries undergoing leadership changes—such as new premiers in Germany, the UK, and Japan—the 2025 summit is an opportunity for Modi to establish early rapport and strategic alignment with these leaders. It also gives India the chance to steer the narrative toward inclusive global governance.
As the world watches the summit unfold against the serene backdrop of the Canadian Rockies, the focus will not only be on the leaders of the G7 but also on how countries like India are shaping the conversation. With his message of inclusive growth, sustainable development, and shared responsibility, Prime Minister Modi’s presence in Kananaskis is expected to make a lasting impact.
