India and the plausible multilateralism of BRICS
2-minute summary
The 18th BRICS Summit, hosted in New Delhi, underscores the complex strategic balancing act India maintains amid intensifying great-power rivalries. Despite deep-seated internal contradictions, such as the tensions involving Iran, Russia, China, and the UAE, India successfully forged a consensus resulting in the Delhi Declaration. The grouping provides a valuable platform for 'plausible multilateralism,' allowing India to pursue strategic autonomy, manage its troubled bilateral relationship with China through structured engagement, and recalibrate its West Asian diplomacy following regional conflicts. While critics dismiss BRICS as a mere talking shop or worry about Chinese and Russian dominance, optimists view it as an essential vehicle for advocating a multipolar global order, reforming institutions like the UN Security Council, and ensuring equitable rules in global trade, finance, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
Why it's in the news
New Delhi recently hosted the 18th BRICS Summit, marking a crucial diplomatic milestone as India navigated geopolitical fallout from conflicts in West Asia, managed its strategic ties with the United States and Israel, and engaged multilaterally with adversaries like China and Iran.
Facts to remember
- The 18th BRICS Summit was hosted in New Delhi, resulting in the Delhi Declaration.
- South Africa joined BRICS in 2010, and the grouping later expanded to include economies like Iran, the UAE, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
- The New Development Bank (NDB) is a multilateral development bank established by BRICS states to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects.
Background and context
The acronym BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001 to describe the fast-growing emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The grouping formalised into regular summits starting in 2009, with South Africa joining in 2010 to form BRICS. Over the years, the bloc expanded further to include economies like Iran, the UAE, Egypt, and Ethiopia. BRICS acts as a non-Western platform advocating for reform of the post-World War II global governance architecture, including Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations Security Council, while creating alternative financial mechanisms like the New Development Bank (NDB).
International organisations
- BRICS — An intergovernmental organisation comprising major emerging economies aimed at fostering multilateral cooperation, economic integration, and global governance reform.
- New Development Bank (NDB) — A multilateral development bank established by BRICS states to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries.
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) — A Eurasian geopolitical, economic, and security organization where India engages with regional partners like China, Russia, and Central Asian states.
Previous UPSC questions on this theme
- Mains GS-2 2026 — "BRICS acts as a powerful counterweight in global governance, actively amplifying the voice and influence of the Global South." Explain the role of BRICS in projecting itself as an alternative to other groupings.
Mains practice: Examine how plurilateral groupings like BRICS provide India with the diplomatic space necessary to uphold its strategic autonomy in an era of intensifying great-power competition.
Introduction
Strategic autonomy has remained a cornerstone of India's foreign policy. Amid intensifying great-power rivalries between the U.S.-led Western alliance and the Russia-China axis, platforms like BRICS offer India crucial diplomatic leverage to pursue a multi-aligned foreign policy.
Body
• Balancing Power Dynamics: BRICS acts as a diplomatic counterweight that prevents global governance from becoming unipolar or exclusively Western-centric, aligning with India's vision of a multipolar world.
• Managing Adversarial Relations: Plurilateral frameworks provide institutional guardrails for competitive coexistence, allowing India and China to maintain diplomatic engagement and manage bilateral friction even when high-level political talks stall.
• Rebalancing West Asian Diplomacy: Membership allows India to maintain independent strategic postures in regions experiencing intense conflict, enabling New Delhi to host regional leaders (such as from Iran and the UAE) while preserving robust bilateral ties with Washington and Tel Aviv.
• Advocating Global South Priorities: BRICS serves as an effective platform to champion reforms in multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council, Bretton Woods financial bodies, and frameworks governing climate change and AI.
Conclusion
While critics often highlight internal contradictions and ideological divergence among member states, BRICS remains an indispensable instrument for India. It enables New Delhi to transition from a mere 'rule-taker' to a 'rule-shaper' in global affairs without compromising its sovereign independence.
Prelims practice questions
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the BRICS grouping: 1. The acronym BRIC was originally coined by a Goldman Sachs economist. 2. South Africa was a founding member of BRICS at its very first formal summit in 2009. 3. The New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: C. Statement 1 is correct: The term BRIC was coined in 2001 by Jim O'Neill. Statement 2 is incorrect: South Africa joined the grouping later, in December 2010, transforming BRIC into BRICS; the first formal summit took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009 without South Africa. Statement 3 is correct: The New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
Q2. Which of the following international financial institutions was established by BRICS countries to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects?
- Global Environment Facility (GEF)
- New Development Bank (NDB)
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Answer: B. The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, was established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects.
Q3. The concept of 'Strategic Autonomy,' frequently discussed in the context of India’s foreign policy, primarily implies:
- Absolute alignment with Western democratic nations to counter authoritarian powers.
- The ability of a nation to independently formulate and execute its foreign and security policies without external coercion.
- Complete isolation from regional conflicts and military alliances.
- Relying exclusively on multilateral organisations for national defence.
Answer: B. Strategic autonomy refers to a state's independent capability to make foreign policy and security decisions based on its national interest, without being dictated to or constrained by major powers or alliances.
Revision flashcards
- Who originally coined the term 'BRIC' and in what year? Jim O'Neill, an economist at Goldman Sachs, coined the term BRIC in 2001.
- When and how did South Africa join the BRIC grouping? South Africa formally joined the group in December 2010, expanding the acronym from BRIC to BRICS.
- Where is the headquarters of the New Development Bank (NDB) established by BRICS (as of September 2026)? Shanghai, China.
- What is the primary strategic utility of BRICS for India's foreign policy? It provides diplomatic space to pursue strategic autonomy, advocate for a multipolar global order, and engage with competing major powers like China and Russia.
- What does the term 'plausible multilateralism' signify in international relations? Cooperation among diverse and sometimes conflicting states through institutional frameworks to address global issues, despite internal contradictions.