BRICS summit will help India hedge against global uncertainty

This weekend leaders of 11 major and developing economies will gather in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit and the inclusion of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping among the invitees imparts the conclave a significant profile at a time when geo-politics is in a flux and every power big and small is hedging against the unpredictability of the current times with two major wars showing no signs of ending.

The elephant in the room will be the United States with President Donald Trump’s conduct of foreign policy flummoxing allies as well as foes. The recent sharp downturn in US-Canada ties, which have stood firm for decades, has only served to deepen concerns over the unpredictable course of American policy. Though as host India will ensure there is no direct criticism of the US – all the more so as China and Russia are the leading lights of BRICS – the themes for the summit underline the need for secure trade, reliable energy supplies, digital innovation, logistics and supply chains, labor market mechanisms and cooperation in agriculture all of which adds up to a comprehensive agenda.

Leverage for India

The BRICS leaders are expected to iterate the need to preserve and revitalize the multilateral trading system and advance the opening of markets and economic diversification of members. The support for an inclusive, equitable, rules-based trading system with WTO (World Trade Organisation) at its core is hardly an exceptional goal but it does stand in contrast to the Trump administration’s unilateral actions such as “Liberation Day” tariffs, the heckling of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) allies and the blindsiding of America’s traditional partners in the Gulf region when the US went to war with Iran. All of this and more make the BRICS conclave in New Delhi important.

There is no dilution in the Modi government’s understanding of the salience of its ties with the US, a continuing aspect of Indian policy under governments of all hues, but no nation can ignore the possibility of being on the wrong side of a Trump decision. The BRICS summit not only strengthens India’s resilience and its acceptability among a large number of nations but is also provides useful chips on the table when dealing with the US. The recent statements of the US ambassador to India Sergei Gor that Trump would possibly be keen on a bilateral with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Florida in December on the sidelines of the G 20 meeting indicate the value of balancing of interests.

Xi and Putin in Delhi

The BRICS meet will get top billing with the presence of Putin and Xi. The Chinese President will be in India after a gap of almost seven years and his decision to attend the summit is significant in many aspects. For one, though the US has indicated a desire for more stable ties with China, distrust and uncertainty run high. The BRICS parleys can provide a useful backdrop to the expected meeting between Xi and Trump the American President has spoken of. A picture of a high-profile huddle featuring Modi, Xi and Putin at Tainjin in September, 2025, held the world’s attention and led to some urgent soul searching in Washington’s policy circles over the utility of driving India closer to Russia and China. A similar picture of bonhomie emerged from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Bishkek last week and another can be expected next weekend.

The agenda discussed by BRICS ministerials and meetings constitutes a wide canvas that encompasses a wide range of subjects including contentious areas like artificial intelligence, intelligence, geospatial and digital public infrastructure where international cooperation is challenging all the more because of China’s opaque approaches to these issues. The convergence on such matters points to a desire to overcome conventional bilateral and multi-lateral barriers and concerns that typically make translating declarations into actionable decisions a difficult task.

Crucial Geography

The 11 important economies that will be involved in the discussions are Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam and they represent diverse but significant geo-political interests that may not be precisely commensurate with their economic standing. There are no less than 34 ministerial and heads of agencies tracks, about 100 working group and sub group and various other P2P and B2B mechanisms. BRICS cooperation spans political, security, economic and financial issues, health, education, science and technology, agriculture, customs, energy and space.

India’s terms as chair has centered around resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. The resilience aspect focusses on health, agriculture, food, energy and disaster risk reduction. Under the innovation pillar it seeks to promote cooperation in start-ups, MSMEs, science and technology, entrepreneurship, research and development and digital infrastructure. The cooperation and sustainability verticals deal with multi-lateralism, advancing reforms of global institutions and promoting clean energy, climate action and sustainable consumption.