G7 Embraces India—Because It Must

Prime Minister Modi's upcoming visit to Canada for the G7 summit—his first in a decade—carries significance that goes well beyond the formalities of international diplomacy.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, this visit is both symbolic and strategic—marking Modi's first participation in a major multilateral forum since the launch of Operation Sindoor, India's audacious and widely discussed military response to cross-border terrorism emanating from nuclear-armed Pakistan, now seen by many as a vassal of China.

That alone lends gravity to the visit. For years, India's military capability was a matter of speculation or restraint. Post-Sindoor, it's a matter of record. India didn't just signal strength—it demonstrated it. That shift hasn't gone unnoticed by the world's major powers.

Carney's invitation, therefore, is not routine. It signals a deliberate reset. After years of strained ties under Justin Trudeau—largely the result of his government's political flirtation with Khalistani separatists—Carney seems intent on course-correcting. That earlier indulgence of fringe extremism cost Canada dearly: not just in Delhi, but across key strategic circles in the Indo-Pacific.

Carney, to his credit, appears to grasp the stakes.