# India should be added to the G7 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 16, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199 "2022-03-16T17:42:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/1 "2022-03-16T17:42:42Z")
India hosts 17.7% of the entire human population, is 8.1% of the global economy, has the third largest military spending on the planet, has nuclear weapons, and is a functional democracy. By almost any measure, they should be a significant part of the global order and yet, to-date, they’ve never had too much impact on global politics. As a new global order is currently being created, India has the opportunity to establish itself as a major player. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/2 "2022-03-16T18:00:30Z")
AFAICT, the chief issue is [establishing specific criteria for whether and how to expand the G7](https://www.cfr.org/blog/india-and-g7). > [@](#): > > Democracy sets India apart from China, so it could be a conceivable and logical expansion to include India in an enlarged G7, but not China. But using this yardstick, the selection of Australia and South Korea spurs questions about other democratic economies around the same size not on the list. What about Brazil and Mexico? Or Indonesia? A ranking of the ten largest economies that are also democracies—using market exchange rates—would suggest inclusion of Brazil, India, and South Korea in a “D10” grouping along with all members of the existing G7. That same ranking using purchasing power parity would include India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea—but not Italy and Canada, core G7 members. All of this is food for thought on the purpose and design of any expansion of this consultation. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/3 "2022-03-16T20:38:19Z")
Can’t they just do what Russia did in the 90’s? Just hang out at the meetings and talk to all the ministers, and maybe they’ll extend a formal invitation. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/4 "2022-03-16T21:20:15Z")
I was actually thinking of proposing Brazil and South Korea as well (though, neither is a nuclear power - so that drops them a bit in respect to how much we can be certain that they’re going to continue to remain an independent power). I’m not sufficiently certain how the G7 is structured, to make decisions, to know whether it’s important for it to stay as small as possible or if it’s a “more the merrier” sort of deal. But certainly it’s hard to see how Russia could be allowed in and you would say that India isn’t worthy. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/5 "2022-03-16T23:27:15Z")
They’ve got [BRIC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRIC) (or BRICS if you include South Africa) - Brazil, Russia, India and China as more-or-less economic equals (although Russia may be falling out of that group at the rate it’s going). They can have their own consortium, with blackjack and hookers if they want. The G7 doesn’t have to be the only player in the game. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/6 "2022-03-18T01:08:31Z")
Which of the current 7 would you remove? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/7 "2022-03-18T01:11:51Z")
If you were real hardcore on that 7 then one might note that Germany, France, and Italy are fairly redundant with the EU. Swap them out with India, Brazil, and South Korea and you’re holding at 7. (Not an actual recommendation.) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/8 "2022-03-18T11:37:11Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > a functional democracy. A functional one by some measures, but far from a truly liberal democracy and falling short of the G7’s stated ideal of pluralism, IMO. The current government is ultra-Hindu-nationalist _and_ buddying up to Russia, why reward them for that? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/9 "2022-03-18T18:30:46Z")
Just what would India be able to do, as a member of the G, that they can’t do now? How much real meaning is there to “being in the G7”? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/10 "2022-03-18T18:48:46Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > why reward them for that? Because of: > [@MrDibble](#): > > _and_ buddying up to Russia You get someone to buddy up with _you_ by inviting them to hang out more. And the more time they’re spending with you, the less they’re spending with others. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/11 "2022-03-18T18:50:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How much real meaning is there to “being in the G7”? Certainly not at much as being part of the UNSC but I think it’s safe to say that that’s not in the running. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-should-be-added-to-the-g7/961199/12 "2022-03-18T19:41:58Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > You get someone to buddy up with _you_ by inviting them to hang out more. Naah, you reward someone for stopping their bad habits by spending time with them. Stopping the bad habits comes first.