India’s BRICS Dilemma

India's assumption of the BRICS Chairmanship in 2025 has sparked concerns over the forum’s declining strategic relevance and internal contradictions, especially in light of shifting global power dynamics.

Internal Contradictions Undermine BRICS Unity

• Bilateral Tensions Among BRICS Members:The notion of BRICS as a unified bloc is contradicted by India-China strategic rivalry, Saudi-UAE tensions with Iran, and disparate foreign policy goals, undermining collective coherence.
• Divergent Responses to U.S. Pressure:While BRICS champions multilateralism, member countries like China, India, and Vietnam are negotiating bilateral trade deals with the U.S., bypassing WTO mechanisms and weakening BRICS’ stated agenda of global trade reform.
• Geopolitical Posturing Without Substance:BRICS declarations reiterate themes like a “multipolar world” and “Global South solidarity”, but lack credible strategies to confront or reform the Bretton Woods institutions, WTO, or global security frameworks.

Misalignment with India’s Strategic Priorities

• China Poses Greater Threat than U.S. Hegemony:For India, the border conflict with China, trade imbalances, and strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific are more pressing than contesting U.S. influence, making BRICS’ anti-West posturing strategically incoherent.
• Erosion of Foundational Relevance:India co-founded BRICS to promote South-South cooperation and economic multipolarity, but these objectives no longer align with current geoeconomic realities, especially given China's growing dominance within the group.
• Opportunity Cost of Diplomatic Investment:New Delhi continues to invest political capital and bureaucratic effort into BRICS despite the diminishing strategic returns, raising questions about institutional inertia and foreign policy groupthink.

Strategic Recalibration and the Need for Realism

• Failure to Counter Global Churn:The Rio Declaration offers no substantive response to U.S. actions under Trump that have reshaped the global economic and trade architecture, exposing BRICS’ inability to offer credible alternatives.
• India’s Chairmanship – A Moment for Reflection:As India assumes the 2026 BRICS presidency, it must reassess its goals, push for reforms within the forum, or redefine its engagement strategy in line with national interest and strategic clarity.
• Reorienting Towards More Effective Multilaterals:India could benefit more from QUAD, IPEF, or G20 platforms, where its economic, security, and geopolitical interests are better represented and operational outcomes are more achievable.

Practice Question:

Critically evaluate India’s continued engagement with BRICS in light of the forum’s internal contradictions and shifting global power dynamics. Should India recalibrate its multilateral commitments? (250 words)