Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi delivering his statement at the G7 Outreach Session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and Mediterranean, attended by Biden and other G7 leaders, pitched India as the voice of the Global South.

Modi met US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in pull-aside meetings Friday on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. This was their first meeting since the G20 Summit in New Delhi last year and allegations of the Indian government's involvement in assassination plots of Khalistani separatists in the US and Canada.

US NSA Jake Sullivan is expected in New Delhi early next week to iron out differences over the alleged assassination plot against a Khalistan separatist, and move forward in bilateral relations.

On his meeting with Trudeau, it was a cryptic one line with a photograph of the two leaders shaking hands, "Met Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau at the G7 Summit," Modi said in his post.

Hours before these meetings, Modi showcased the scale of Indian elections as "the biggest festival of democracy in the world", and framed his "historic victory" as a "victory of democracy" and "victory of the entire democratic world".

This is an important framing, especially in the context of the gathering of the G7 countries which pride themselves as democracies and had expelled Russia from the grouping in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea.

And, in a forward-looking tone to the G7 leaders, he said, "Today's meeting reflects deep convergence between the priorities of all countries. We will continue dialogue and cooperation with the G7 on all these issues."

Sources said French President Emmanuel Macron, in his address at the Outreach Session, praised the Prime Minister's initiative on AI and DPI as G20 Chair.