Editorial: Voice of the Global South

As New Delhi prepares to take over the presidency of BRICS next year, it needs to do some deft balancing act to make the expanded forum more inclusive, serving as a bridge to a fair and just world rather than an anti-West group

The recently concluded BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Rio de Janeiro provided a mix of challenges and opportunities for India to emerge as a powerful voice of the Global South while balancing multiple interests in an increasingly polarising geopolitical landscape. As New Delhi prepares to take over the presidency of the group from Brazil next year, it needs to do some deft balancing act to make the expanded forum more inclusive, serving as a bridge to a fair and just world rather than an anti-West group. The Rio Declaration, condemning the Pahalgam terror attack and focusing on increasing infrastructure finance and digital cooperation, aligns closely with India’s national interests. India has assiduously worked within the grouping to take a strong stand against terrorism and bring about focused consultations on specific aspects relating to terrorism. Over the years, New Delhi has emerged as both a strong advocate for the Global South and a cautious voice determined to keep BRICS from becoming overtly confrontational toward the West. On the one hand, BRICS offers New Delhi a powerful platform to amplify its demands for reforming the United Nations, greater representation in global governance, and development finance tailored to emerging economies. On the other, India’s deepening ties with the West — particularly the United States, Europe, and Japan — shape its strategic calculus. New Delhi has grown increasingly intertwined with Western partners, sharing technology, engaging in defence cooperation, and conducting goods trade worth approximately USD130 billion with the US alone in 2024.

At the same time, New Delhi has long viewed multi-alignment as the best bedrock for safeguarding its interests in an increasingly disordered international system. Its continuing involvement with BRICS, despite the complexities, will be an integral part of that effort. India’s complex relationship with China remains a significant undercurrent within BRICS, marked by lingering mistrust despite recent diplomatic overtures following their 2020 border clashes. While bilateral trade has surged, India’s substantial trade deficit highlights economic asymmetry and dependence on Chinese goods, prompting New Delhi to tighten scrutiny in sensitive sectors, such as technology. Strategic tensions extend beyond commerce, with China’s ties to Pakistan, territorial disputes over Arunachal Pradesh, and Beijing’s regional infrastructure projects fuelling India’s wariness of China’s influence both bilaterally and within BRICS. As India prepares to chair the BRICS summit in 2026, its diplomatic skills will be crucial in steering the bloc toward tangible outcomes rather than ideological posturing, aiming to transform BRICS into a practical engine for development, with a focus on projects spanning African infrastructure to digital public goods. The imperative for India to stay engaged with BRICS has only increased with Trump’s return to the US presidency. Although India’s priority is protecting its ties with the US, the uncertainties surrounding the current US strategic trajectory and US-China relations require India to hedge all the more by deepening its engagement with other partners and groups.

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