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Relations over rivalry, people over politics: India looks to build BRICS bridges in uncertain world
Focus on relationships over rivalry, substance over mere statements, and people over politics are the pillars of New Delhi’s approach.
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As India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit this weekend, it will look to build bridges in an uncertain world, bolstering multilateral ties with an eye on development-oriented, people-centric approaches.
Focus on relationships over rivalry, substance over mere statements, and people over politics are the pillars of New Delhi’s approach, according to an Indian official.
The motto is a testament to India’s balancing act and its efforts towards world peace, especially with partners such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran in the same room; the two BRICS members have found themselves on opposite sides of the West Asia war.
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“In the coming days, leaders from around the world will gather for the BRICS Summit. There is full confidence that the conference will feature positive and meaningful discussions on various issues, with aspirations for global welfare,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X on Friday.
“One should converse only with the virtuous, act in concert only with the virtuous.
“One should engage in debate and friendship only with the virtuous, and nothing whatsoever with the unvirtuous,” he said, setting the tone for the summit.
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Heads of the bloc’s members—India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates—will meet on September 12, the opening day of the summit, to discuss global governance and multilateralism. Saudi Arabia, though a full member since January 2024, has yet to attend a summit as a member state.
India considers BRICS a complementary forum in a multipolar world, alongside its participation in other global forums such as the G20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and Quad. This approach helps India, which exercises strategic autonomy, work with a diverse range of partners.
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The BRICS Summit embraces a people-centric approach with a “humanity-first” touch and development orientation, the person cited above said, adding that New Delhi will look to amplify the voice of the Global South at the forum.
Under India’s chairship, BRICS reaffirms its commitment to reforming global governance and strengthening multilateralism, the person added.
The India-hosted, two-day summit comes amid the US-Iran war, which has led to the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil trade route, pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel. The UAE, hit by Iranian missiles, suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran in August.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the differences between the UAE and Iran had a "negative impact" and get in the way of "drafting" a joint declaration, but hoped the leaders will be able to find a phrasing that will be acceptable to both countries, according to news agency Reuters.
The other highlights of the summit would be PM Modi's meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting India after seven years.
According to analysts, US President Donald Trump's tariff policies have pushed BRICS member nations to band together in a world roiled by conflicts and economic uncertainties.
