India, June 16 -- One of the world's leading experts on the G7 has called for India to be included in the global group to make it more reflective of the current state of the world.

Professor John Kirton, director of the G7 Research Group which was formed in 1987, said, "We do need India. I publicly said and wrote, it should be a full member in this club of major market democracies."

He said he has held that view since 2005, but it was even more "obvious now" given that India has developed critical capabilities in sectors that the G7 is engaged with.

"India is at centre of priorities of the summit on the whole," he felt. "It's one of the world's most resilient democracies," he added.

The G7 Research Group was formed prior to Canada hos...