Building BRICS For the
World (IE)
GS Paper II: International Relations, BRICS, Multilateral Institutions,
Global Governance, Emerging
Economies
Introduction
As India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi
under the official Chairship theme, "Building for Resilience,
Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability," the platform represents
a cornerstone of India’s foreign policy framework anchored in Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam (The World is One Family) and a human-centric vision of "Humanity
First."
Marking
two decades since the inception of the bloc, the expansion of BRICS to BRICS+
comprising 11 member nations and 10 partner countries has solidified its
role as a pivotal platform for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs).
From the perspective of the Government of India, BRICS is not an
anti-Western confrontationist bloc, but an inclusive, non-Western
multilateral forum dedicated to advancing strategic autonomy,
reforming 20th-century institutions of global governance, and amplifying
the collective voice of the Global South.
BRICS+ as a Catalyst for Global South Empowerment
The
expansion into BRICS+ marks a structural realignment in the international
political economy, elevating the grouping from an informal economic dialogue
into a pivotal platform for Global South representation.
1.
Economic and Demographic Weight: BRICS+ economies account for over 45% of the world’s population and
nearly 35–45% of global GDP by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), surpassing
the economic output of the G7 nations. According to IMF projections,
these emerging markets are set to drive more than half of global economic
growth over the next decade. This demographic vitality, paired with rapid
industrialization, positions the bloc as the principal engine of global
trade and resource consumption.
Ø Example: The
operationalization of local-currency settlement frameworks—such as the
India-Indonesia Rupee-Rupiah mechanism and the India-UAE Rupee-Dirham
local currency trade setup—demonstrates the group's economic momentum.
These initiatives allow intra-bloc trade to bypass non-regional reserve
currencies and lower conversion costs across member markets accounting for over
45% of world population.
2.
Shift in Global Centre of Gravity: The
inclusion of energy producers and strategic regional hubs across Asia,
Africa, South America, and the Middle East strengthens the Global South's
collective capacity to navigate geopolitical volatility. By controlling a vast
share of global oil reserves, critical mineral deposits, and maritime choke
points, the enlarged grouping enhances its leverage in international
negotiations. Consequently, this consolidation relocates the focal point of global
policy discourse from traditional Western capitals toward dynamic emerging
regional hubs.
Ø Example: The expanded inclusion of major energy exporters (Saudi Arabia,
UAE, Iran) alongside dominant mineral processing powers (China,
Indonesia). This gives BRICS+ control over critical maritime choke points (Strait
of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb) and energy/mineral value chains,
effectively shifting global energy security negotiations toward emerging
regional capitals rather than Western financial hubs
3.
Non-Aligned Multipolarity: Governed by
principles of consensus, sovereign equality, and international law,
the expanded platform serves as a balanced counterweight to global
fragmentation without compelling member states into geopolitical bloc politics.
It provides member states with the strategic autonomy to pursue bilateral
partnerships with both East and West while collectively advocating
for international institutional reform. This flexible approach ensures that
developmental agendas remain unhindered by rigid ideological alignments or zero-sum
military alliances.
Ø
Example: India’s active
engagement in both BRICS/SCO and Western-led frameworks like Quad or I2U2.
India leverages its 2026 BRICS Chairship to advocate for reformed
multilateralism and global digital infrastructure sharing while simultaneously
building deep trade, investment, and technology ties with both
Eastern and Western nations.
India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship Agenda
Guided
by the Ministry of External Affairs' strategic roadmap, India’s Chairship
translates vision into actionable outcomes across three fundamental operational
pillars,
India’s BRICS Chairship is guided by the
theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”,
reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by
the Hon’ble Prime Minister at the 2025 Rio Summit.
Key Pillars for India’s BRICS Chairship
I.
Resilience: Strengthening economic, social & Institutional
resilience to navigate global uncertainties, Supply chain distributions, health
challenges & Climate risks.
II.
Innovation: Deploying new & emerging technologies such as
digital public infrastructure, fintech, AI, & knowledge sharing to enable
effective service delivery and future ready growth.
III.
Cooperation: Deepening multilateral engagement among BRICS
members through enhanced policy coordination, development finance, trade
facilitation, reforms in global institutional governance, and people- centric
partnerships.
IV.
Sustainability: Accelerating collective efforts toward climate action,
green finance, energy transitions, & Sustainable development aligned with
national & global priorities.
The
Strategic Framework:
I.
Resilience: Constructing
resilient trade routes, social infrastructure, and critical supply chains to cushion
emerging economies against global financial shocks.
II.
Innovation: Sharing
India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) including UPI, Aadhaar, and
open-source technological architecture to bridge global digital divides and
support inclusive growth.
III.
Cooperation: Deepening
multi-sectoral engagement, reforming international financial bodies (IMF/World
Bank quota allocations), and advancing targeted development assistance.
IV.
Sustainability: Accelerating equitable
green transitions, climate action, and renewable energy adoption aligned with
Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR).
Sino-Indian Pragmatism:
Balancing Bilateral Divergences with Multilateral Cooperation
The
bilateral dynamic between India and China—representing the two largest
economies within BRICS—is vital to maintaining the internal stability and
developmental momentum of the bloc,
1.
Economic Synergies: Representing ~35%
of the global population and key growth centers in Asia, stable
economic interaction between New Delhi and Beijing serves as a structural
anchor for regional market stability and Global South development.
2.
Diplomatic Channels and Bilateral Management: Utilizing multilateral forums like the BRICS Summit to hold border
management dialogues (Special Representative and Expert Group
meetings) and bilateral discussions provides a constructive mechanism for
managing differences pragmatically.
3.
Shared Commitment to Multipolarity: Both nations share foundational alignment on advocating for a multipolar
global order, defending open trade mechanisms, and strengthening
Global South representation in global governance bodies like the UN
Security Council.
Major Bottlenecks and Potential
Solutions
1.
Heterogeneity and Consensus-Building: Integrating diverse political systems, foreign policy postures, and
economic structures requires balancing consensus with individual sovereign
interests.
2.
Bilateral Friction Among Members: Geopolitical divergences and security issues among key member states
highlight the necessity of keeping BRICS focused strictly on shared economic
and developmental agendas.
3.
Reforming Multilateral Governance: Overcoming structural inertia in global institutions (such as UNSC
expansion and global financial institution reforms) demands sustained pressure
and alignment within the bloc.
4.
Financial and Payment Integration: Developing interoperable local currency platforms
and digital payment interfaces (such as linking Fast Payment Systems and CBDCs)
requires regulatory harmony among distinct financial systems.
Conclusion
From the perspective of Indian statecraft, BRICS is
a vital instrument for exercising strategic autonomy and operationalizing
the ethos of Vishwamitra (a trusted friend to the world). Rejecting
binary, anti-Western narratives, New Delhi positions BRICS+ as an inclusive
bridge between the Global South and global governance bodies. By advancing
its 2026 agenda of resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability,
India demonstrates that multipolarity can coexist with global cohesion.
Ultimately, Indian leadership asserts that durable global stability depends on reformed
multilateralism integrating the developmental priorities of the Global
South into an equitable, peaceful, and progressive international
architecture.
Question
As
the host of the BRICS Summit, India faces the delicate balancing act of driving
the Global South agenda while maintaining its strategic autonomy between
Eastern and Western blocs. Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Introduction
India’s presidency of BRICS, anchored in Building for Resilience,
Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability, highlights its positioning as
a bridge between Western groupings (QUAD, G7 partner) and the Global
South/East (BRICS, SCO).
Driving the
Global South Agenda
1. People-Centric Development: India advances digital public infrastructure (DPI), food and energy security, and climate adaptation tailored for developing economies.
Ø Example: Sharing the India stack ecosystem (UPI,
Aadhaar, DigiLocker) with Global South partners—such as establishing
cross-border UPI linking with BRICS nations like UAE (AANI system) and setting
up DPI frameworks with partners like Malaysia and Ethiopia.
2.
Inclusive
Multilateralism: New Delhi ensures
BRICS functions as an inclusive "non-Western" developmental platform
rather than an anti-Western political bloc.
Ø Example: Championing the formal expansion of BRICS to
include countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia (like UAE, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Iran, and Indonesia), ensuring the platform acts as an inclusive
voice for Global South development rather than an anti-Western geopolitical
bloc
3.
Economic
Growth: India promotes local
currency trade settlements, sustainable infrastructure financing, and
South-South technology transfers.
Ø Example: Setting up rupee-dirham
and rupee-ruble local currency trade settlement mechanisms with BRICS
partners to lower transaction costs and boost cross-border trade without
depending strictly on third-party reserve currencies.
Maintaining Strategic Autonomy
1. Preventing Anti-West Alignment: India acts as a balancing weight against attempts by member states to turn BRICS into an anti-US security coalition.
2. Multi-Alignment Strategy: India balances its Western security partnerships (QUAD, I2U2) while co-leading BRICS+ to safeguard its national security and economic independence.
3. Diversified Energy and Economic Relations: New Delhi maintains bilateral trade ties, energy imports, and defense supply chains with Eastern partners like Russia while simultaneously deepening trade, technology, and investment networks with Western markets.
4. Issue-Based Coalitions: India exercises independent decision-making by engaging selectively on shared developmental and economic issues in BRICS without committing to binding military or political alliances that could compromise its foreign policy choices.
Conclusion
Through
its BRICS Chairship, India projects its role as a Vishwa Mitra (friend
to the world), employing strategic autonomy to foster a multi-polar, equitable
global order.