The New Bare World
Context:
- Japan and India were invited to the 49th G7 summit, which took place from May 19 to May 21, 2023, in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Important occurrences demonstrating the global order:
- The Russian-Ukrainian War showed that geography is still important.
- Despite being hyper-globalized, we are also more locally focused than ever. India acknowledges the challenges facing Europe, but it places greater importance on Chinese aggression, the Wuhan virus, and Kabul’s surrender.
- Only national interests are important, the UN’s decision on the Ukraine war demonstrated.
- Today’s sanctions against Russia are being imposed by those who not only won World War II but achieved globalisation and progress.
- The recent flurry of trips by European politicians to China demonstrates the unviability of value-based frameworks and the importance of lucrative business ties.
- Despite India’s confrontation with the Chinese on the Himalayan peaks, trade is unaffected.
- Only self-centeredness, not greatness, rules during times of stress.
- During the Covid-19 outbreak, there were rising treatment capacity gaps as well as the overt theft of medical supplies and vaccination availability.
- Those nations providing the biggest farmer subsidies under the Doha Agreement on Agriculture never actually implemented it.
- Similar to this, the Afghan people were duped and left behind since it was convenient for higher powers to leave the nation at a specific time.
- Chinese territorial incursions have sparked a variety of self-serving reactions from various individuals who would otherwise be eager to support democracy.
India’s significance for the G7:
- India’s economy is larger than the economies of three G-7 members, France, Italy, and Canada, with a GDP of $2.66 trillion.
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that India’s economy would develop at a rate of 5.9 percent between 2023 and 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing in the world.
- In Asia, India’s economy is expanding at the quickest rate.
- According to the World Bank, India has the greatest growth rate among the seven largest emerging-market and developing economies.
- India may be a major economic force that uses trade, investment, and consumer spending to propel global growth.
- India continues to be a desirable investment location because of things like market potential, affordable manufacturing, business reforms, and a good business climate.
- India recently overtaken China as the world’s most populous nation.
- India has a young and plentiful trained and semi-skilled labour force with 68 percent of the population in working age (15-64 years) and 65 percent under the age of 35.
- India is one of the G20’s most important members and the seventh-largest country by geographical area, taking the shape of a subcontinent, as well as the most populous democracy in the world.
- India has a continuous history of civilization.
- India has nearly four hotspots for biodiversity and is a demographically extremely varied nation.
- India spends a lot of money on its military and is a responsible nuclear power.
- European nations are eager to take advantage of the economic prospects the Indo-Pacific region provides as the global geopolitical and economic epicentre shifts there.
- The Indo-Pacific, however, faces its own difficulties as a combative China expands its political and economic influence.
- India has become an important strategic partner for the Western nations in their efforts to restrict China, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region’s Indian Ocean sector.
- India has strategic alliances with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan among the G-7 members. The strategic sphere of India’s relations with Italy is quickly developing.
- Energy Security for Europe: Unexpectedly, India has emerged as a transit nation to address the European energy dilemma brought on by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- About 40% of Europe’s oil and gas supply came from Russia before the war began.
- For its part, Russia made a special offer to India for oil in order to make up for the loss experienced when European nations stopped purchasing Russian oil.
- India has developed into a backdoor for the European nations to buy Russian oil after going through the refinement process there.
- In April, India overtook the United States as Europe’s top supplier of refined fuels.
- India is one of the few countries that enjoys friendly relations with both the West and Russia diplomatically. The conflict in Ukraine is nearing a deadlock.
- Many Western nations’ businesses and supply systems have already been impacted by the war. In the near future, India might provide a face-saving option to both parties of the conflict through direct or indirect mediation.
- India’s strategy of balancing connections may aid in diplomatic negotiations to put an end to the conflict.
What are India’s current interests?
- The rise of China poses a threat to established great powers like the U.S. US presence there.
- The US has faced a challenge from the Russia-China axis, which indirectly pulled India into the US fold.
- The Belt and Road Initiative is China’s attempt to increase its regional influence.
- Another strategy for gaining influence is debt trap diplomacy.
- The friendship between China and Pakistan is a problem for India in its neighbourhood.
- Due to the growing threat posed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, drug trafficking, non-conventional threats, cyberwarfare, Fourth Generation Warfare or proxy warfare, etc., West Asia is crucial to maintaining security in the South Asia region.
- Its investment, energy security, and crucial diaspora interests will all be protected as a result.
- In order to lead the world and act as the “vishwaguru” in promoting peace and development, India is vying for a permanent seat on the UNSC.
- According to the current realities of the international order in the twenty-first century, it will result in reforms in the international institutions.
- Once Pakistan gains India’s trust and stops using terror as a tactic in its foreign and security strategy, India-Pakistan relations would improve. Through the United States and other international organisations, India must continue to put pressure on Pakistan to change its ways while maintaining a dialogue channel through Track 2 diplomacy.
Conclusion:
- The G7 may be an important venue for India to demonstrate its potential for global leadership and to develop practical solutions to global problems by forging alliances and taking action. India may use the G7 as a worldwide forum in the new world order to push for crucial changes to the international financial and security institutions.
