India and BRICS

The final event of the 16th BRICS+ Summit in Kazan, Russia was the Outreach Program. The gathering included nations, not only members of the organization, but also those interested in expanding their ties with it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already left by then. India was represented by Dr S Jaishankar, Foreign Minister.

A total of 36 countries participated, 22 of which were represented by their heads of state, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, whose BRICS candidacy was blocked by India. India is not willing to allow any country close to Pakistan to join the organization at present.

A gathering of this nature in Russia, a state facing a host of Western sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine and whose leader faces an arrest warrant from the ICC (International Criminal Court), is remarkable in itself. The UN secretary general's presence at the summit added to Russia's stature, which also angered Ukraine. Ukraine subsequently rejected a visit by the secretary general to kyiv.

The group barely discussed the Ukraine conflict but criticized Israel for its actions. This situation was reinforced by the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Kazan. Prime Minister Modi ignores SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) meetings but attends all BRICS summits, implying that India is not willing to play an active role in an institution dominated by China. China.

BRICS has grown from five to nine countries. Nearly twenty countries are waiting, including Turkey, Mexico and Pakistan, many of which are close allies of the United States. It currently represents 46% of the world's population and 35% of world GDP. Its competitor, the G7, represents 8% of the world population and 30% of world GDP. BRICS also own 40% of global oil production. Ironically, the two largest oil importers, India and China, are members of the organization.

The BRICS are notable in that, unlike the G7, where all countries are members of US-led security institutions, and the SCO, where all but two are members of China's BRI, they include countries with independent opinions. The BRICS also created their own bank, the NDB (New Development Bank), a counterpart of the IMF, whose founding members are equal shareholders.

For India, the Kazan summit brought multiple lessons. The most important was the Modi-Xi meeting, which helped resolve the ongoing conflict in Ladakh. The meeting paved the way for a normalization of relations, although it will take time to overcome the trust deficit. According to reports, there is already a positive development in the LAC region. Normalization of relations between India and China could impact anti-China groups, such as QUAD, which is banking on Indian support to challenge China.

The Prime Minister spoke at two sessions of the summit. He spoke about BRICS' people-centered approach to tackling challenges and the speedy adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations to combat the threat of terrorism. For India, terrorism is a major concern. Prime Minister Modi also emphasized the primacy of the Global South. India and China are competing for leadership in the Global South. Neither country invites the other when it hosts its own summit of the Global South.

Another important takeaway was the Russia-India summit, where Prime Minister Modi and President Putin reportedly discussed resolving the Ukraine conflict, among other topics. India is likely to play a major role in its resolution in the near future, as it is the only nation trusted by Russia and the United States, the two main decision-makers in the conflict. Even Ukraine, which regularly opposes any meeting with Putin, is aware of India's position. Zelensky made no comments on the current interaction between Russia and India.

This is the second Indo-Russian summit in recent months that sends the message that India does not accept Western sanctions against Russia. Prime Minister Modi inviting Putin to India for their annual bilateral meeting next year confirmed that the summons issued by the ICC have no relevance to India.

Prime Minister Modi's other important bilateral agreement was with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The two leaders discussed the Middle East. According to Indian Foreign Minister Vikram Misri, Pezeshkian highlighted the need for peace and harmony in the region and the role India could play in de-escalating the conflict, given its good relations with all parties involved.

Currently, the Palestinian, Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to India mention that India has a major role to play in the region. India has stayed away from any comments on the conflict, although it has raised concerns on two issues, terrorism against Israel and the killing of innocent civilians by Israel.

By resolving its differences with China, India finds itself in an unenviable geopolitical position. It maintains links with both groups, Russia and China, as well as with the West, led by the United States. It is possible that the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral partnership will be revived in the near future, thereby increasing India's geopolitical clout. For the West, India is a major trading partner with a growing economy and a huge market, a nation they would like to keep on their side. Apart from Canada, there is no Western nation that is not looking to strengthen its ties with India.

Although some believe that India's relations with Iran, Russia and China could pose an obstacle to its ties with the United States, the fact remains that India constitutes a bridge between The West and the conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. As Prime Minister Modi rightly stated, BRICS is not anti-Western but non-Western. India, leveraging its strategic autonomy, will never join any anti-Western alliance, but will not criticize any of its allies to curry favor with the West. This is Indian strength.

Another subtle message coming from India to the United States is that New Delhi has multiple allies and attempts to pressure it would make no sense. India, showing its ties to the West, has so far not supported dedollarization, but may do so in the future in case it is taken for granted. Even though Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs in case the dollar is ignored, the fact remains that if adopted by a large majority, it could be difficult for the United States .

For India, the BRICS+ summit was a demonstration of its strategic autonomy, global relevance as well as an opportunity to iron out its differences with China.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of ETV Bharat)