Just days after Modi confirmed he would attend the summit following an invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Poilievre stressed the strategic and economic need to engage with India.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta later this month.

Experts say given the increasing economic heft of the country, India cannot be outside the major policy issues confronting the West, an opinion Canada's Carney seconded on Friday. India surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy in May this year.