Why BRICS
(Source: The Indian Express, Editorial Page)
Also Read: The Indian Express Editorial Analysis: 08 July 2025
Also Read: The Hindu Editorial Analysis: 08 July 2025
| Topic: GS Paper 2: International Relations; Regional and Global Groupings |
| Context |
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India’s Founding Role and Initial Optimism
- India joined BRICS with the hope of reshaping global governance structures by challenging the Western monopoly over institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and WTO.
- It saw BRICS as a platform to showcase leadership of the Global South, leveraging collective economic weight to demand reform of the Bretton Woods system.
- Initially, India believed that cooperation among emerging economies like Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa could lead to economic multipolarity and a voice for the developing world.
Strategic Weaknesses and Lack of Cohesion
- The 2025 summit declaration was over 16,000 words long but lacked strategic clarity, reflecting a pattern of verbose but vague summits.
- Deep geopolitical rifts among members – especially the India-China standoff and Iran-Saudi tensions – undermine any shared strategic vision.
- BRICS’ claim of unity against Western dominance is contradicted by its members’ bilateral dealings with the US, such as trade pacts and defense cooperation.
- Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, recent entrants, are more aligned with Western interests than BRICS principles, diluting ideological coherence.
Trump’s Disruption vs BRICS Inaction
- Donald Trump’s presidency triggered major shifts in global institutions like the WTO, WHO, and NATO, signaling a sharp retreat from multilateralism.
- Yet BRICS failed to respond meaningfully, resorting only to rhetorical resistance rather than formulating collective countermeasures.
- The group’s call for reforming the Bretton Woods system sounds increasingly hollow, especially as member states continue to prioritize national over group interests.
India’s Strategic Dilemma with China
- China’s expansionist moves, including border incursions, tech dominance, and debt diplomacy, have created security, economic, and geopolitical tensions for India.
- BRICS has not provided India any effective platform to counter Chinese influence, and in fact, China continues to dominate the grouping, including key economic projects.
- India’s participation in forums like QUAD or I2U2, which exclude China, reflect Delhi’s shift towards more aligned partnerships for strategic balancing.
Declining Diplomatic Returns for India
- The editorial argues that India is not leveraging BRICS effectively, nor is the grouping aligned with India’s evolving foreign policy imperatives.
- Multilateralism for the sake of symbolism, without enforceable agendas or conflict-resolution mechanisms, offers little benefit to India.
- Despite this, India remains cautious, possibly due to diplomatic inertia or fear of alienating emerging economies in the Global South.
India’s Strategic Forums vs. BRICS
| Forum | Strategic Focus | Presence of China | Alignment with India’s Interests |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRICS | Multilateral reform, development finance | Yes | Mixed; increasingly marginal |
| QUAD | Indo-Pacific security, tech, supply chains | No | High; aligns with strategic goals |
| I2U2 | West Asia cooperation (India, Israel, UAE, USA) | No | High; economic & strategic |
| G20 | Global economic coordination | Yes | Moderate; more economic focus |
Way Forward/Conclusion
- India must critically reassess the utility of BRICS in light of changing global dynamics. As internal contradictions persist and deliverables remain weak, continuing investment in the bloc may not yield strategic benefits. A shift towards issue-based and interest-aligned forums like QUAD, I2U2, and G20 seems more pragmatic.
- However, India should not abandon BRICS entirely. Instead, it must redefine its role—demanding time-bound commitments, measurable outcomes, and a mechanism to resolve internal differences. BRICS can still play a symbolic role in global governance debates, but it must evolve or risk irrelevance.
| Practice Question: (GS-2 | 15 Marks | 250 Words) Do groupings like BRICS continue to serve India’s strategic and geopolitical interests in the evolving global order? Critically analyze. |
