The 2025 BRICS Summit highlighted the erosion of multilateralism amid the U.S.’s shifts to bilateralism under President Trump; the editorial urges India to recalibrate its global strategy through strategic autonomy, South-South cooperation, and internal transformation. -South cooperation, and domestic transformation to position itself as a global leader.

Decline of Multilateralism and the Global Flux

• Erosion of Multilateral Consensus: The United States, under Donald Trump, has shifted towards bilateralism, sidelining the United Nations and weakening collective mechanisms like the G-77. The BRICS 2025 Declaration avoided addressing this structural disruption.
• Fragmentation through Strategic Bilateral Deals: The imposition of unilateral tariffs and bilateral negotiations is being used by the U.S. as a tactic to gain economic concessions, moving away from a rules-based order. This reflects a recalibration of power diplomacy post-WWII.
• Implications for the Global South: With multilateral institutions weakened, the Global South can no longer rely on traditional platforms for bargaining. India's influence now depends on building strong regional and bilateral partnerships, not ideological voting blocs.

India’s Strategic and Economic Reorientation

• Redefining Strategic Autonomy: India must articulate neutrality among global powers while asserting its core national interests. Its loss of the UNESCO Executive Board seat to Pakistan highlights the urgency to recalibrate diplomacy.
• Pivot to the East and Infrastructure-Led Growth: Trade realignment toward ASEAN, coupled with massive infrastructure investments (high-speed rail, digital networks), can compensate for declining U.S. exports and stimulate internal demand.
• Harnessing Technological Leadership: With India now ahead of the UK and Germany in GenAI patent filings (WIPO), the country has a foundational advantage in the Fourth Industrial Revolution to drive endogenous growth and global competitiveness.

Security, Borders, and South-South Prosperity

• Next-Gen Military Modernisation: A shift from heavy ground forces to integrated technologies—drones, satellites, AI—gives India strategic depth and economic efficiency, aligning military doctrine with global best practices.
• Reframing Border Diplomacy for Growth: Recent diplomatic overtures on Indo-China border demarcation and renewed interest in the Indus Waters Treaty indicate a transition from confrontation to long-term trust-building for economic cooperation.
• Reviving the Global South via BRICS 2026: The upcoming BRICS Summit in India presents an opportunity to build a new value chain network across the Global South—prioritizing mutual prosperity over outdated multilateral bargains with the Global North.

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