BRICS at a Crossroads: India’s Balancing Act

As the 18th BRICS summit convenes in Delhi, questions arise about the bloc’s viability. With an expanded membership of 11 nations, including some of the world’s most authoritarian regimes, it’s remarkable that BRICS continues to function. However, India, the current chair, is determined to revitalize this struggling entity.

India’s efforts appear laudable at first glance. The country has chosen a slogan reinterpreting BRICS as a joint mission rather than an aggregation of nation-states. This approach reflects India’s ambivalence towards BRICS and its own priorities. Sushant Singh, a lecturer in South Asian Studies at Yale University, notes that “India doesn’t want to offend Russia or China, but the fact is that Indians are increasingly looking towards the United States.”

This dichotomy is key to understanding India’s role in BRICS. As a rising global power with significant geopolitical weight, India can either support or undermine the bloc. Yet its own priorities lie elsewhere – with defense ties and trade agreements that are decidedly Western-facing.

The Anti-Western Turn: A Misconception

BRICS has been accused of taking an anti-Western turn, but this characterization oversimplifies a complex dynamic. In reality, the group’s focus on global governance reform and alternative financial architecture is driven by both a desire to challenge Western dominance and create a more inclusive international order.

India’s approach to BRICS suggests that the country may be downplaying or even abandoning this aspect. By emphasizing “practical cooperation” and “global governance reform,” India appears to prioritize areas where consensus can be achieved over high-stakes ideological posturing.

The Expansion Paradox

BRICS’s expansion has been touted as a major advantage, but it’s also introduced new tensions within the group. With more authoritarian regimes joining the fold, the bloc now grapples with internal contradictions that threaten to unravel its very fabric. Singh notes that “These internal contradictions will always be hard to reconcile.”

Yet India’s addition to the BRICS table may prove to be a stabilizing force after all. By virtue of its non-aligned status and significant relationships across competing camps, India has the potential to act as a bridge-builder – or at least, that’s the hope.

The Road Ahead

While some optimists believe progress can still be made in areas like trade, monetary cooperation, and agriculture, others remain skeptical. Singh predicts that BRICS will “continue to underwhelm” despite India’s best efforts. Nonetheless, the upcoming summit may yet surprise us with a few breakthroughs. Mihaela Papa, director of the BRICS Lab at MIT, notes that “India’s WTO ambitions are shared by more members,” which could lead to movement on trade and economic issues.

In the end, it’s clear that BRICS is at a crossroads – not just because of India’s efforts. The bloc faces an existential crisis, one that threatens to upend its very purpose. Will it manage to reinvent itself, or will it succumb to the weight of its internal contradictions? Only time (and the BRICS summit) will tell.

India’s balancing act between rival great powers and its own Western-oriented priorities is a delicate one indeed. Can it pull off this feat without sacrificing its core values – or will BRICS ultimately prove to be an exercise in futility?