Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Outreach Session of the G7 Summit in Evian, France on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, speaking on the theme 'Reviving a Balanced, Shared and Sustainable Economic Growth for All.' Modi commended the French G7 Presidency for prioritising the topic, signalling India's alignment with the session's core agenda.

Context

In his address, Modi stated that 'when it comes to growth, the question should' — a phrase that opens a broader argument about the terms on which global economic recovery is measured and distributed. The post, shared directly from the summit venue, reflects India's active participation as a key outreach partner at the G7, a role the country has held since 2019.

India is not a permanent G7 member but has been consistently invited to outreach sessions, where it has used the platform to amplify the concerns of the Global South — developing and emerging economies that often feel sidelined by frameworks designed by wealthier nations.

Policy Backdrop

Modi has made inclusive and equitable growth a cornerstone of India's multilateral diplomacy. At the 2023 G7 Hiroshima Summit, he similarly foregrounded the need for growth models that serve all nations, not just the most industrialised ones. India's presidency of the G20 in 2023 further cemented this messaging, with New Delhi pushing for development finance reform and debt relief for vulnerable economies.

The French G7 Presidency's decision to anchor an outreach session around 'balanced and sustainable growth' is broadly consistent with India's long-standing positions at both the G20 and BRICS forums. France and India also maintain a strategic partnership that spans defence, civil nuclear energy, and space cooperation, giving bilateral margins of the summit added significance.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the agenda Modi is championing are Global South economies — nations across Africa, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia — that have struggled to secure equitable access to development finance, technology transfer, and climate adaptation funding. India has positioned itself as a bridge between these nations and the G7 bloc.

For India domestically, Modi's visible presence at high-table multilateral forums reinforces the government's narrative of the country's rising global stature. The session also feeds into ongoing negotiations around multilateral development bank reform and concessional lending frameworks that directly affect emerging market economies.

What's Next

Observers will watch closely for the language that makes it into the final G7 Evian Communique, particularly on development finance, debt restructuring, and climate funding — areas where India has historically pushed for stronger commitments. Any bilateral meeting between Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines would also be a significant diplomatic signal. India's continued engagement at G7 outreach sessions underscores its ambition to shape, not merely respond to, the rules of the global economic order.