NEW DELHI — Balancing its foreign policy priorities between the United States and the BRICS grouping is emerging as India’s primary challenge as it assumes the bloc’s presidency, particularly at a time when several BRICS members face increased scrutiny from Washington, according to a media report.
While India views BRICS as a platform to strengthen the multilateral world order, other members such as Russia and China see the grouping more explicitly as a geostrategic counterweight to the United States, the report noted. This divergence in outlook complicates New Delhi’s efforts to maintain equilibrium between its strategic partnership with Washington and its leadership role within BRICS.
According to India Narrative, India’s approach to the United States is guided largely by national interest and differs significantly from that of other BRICS members on key geopolitical and trade issues.
“Amid competing global interests, trade tensions and the US tariff onslaught, India is assuming the BRICS presidency this year,” the report said. It added that the presidency provides India an opportunity to advance the interests of the Global South by advocating for a greater role for developing nations in global financial institutions and international decision-making.
India has traditionally championed the concerns of developing countries and supported efforts to strengthen Global South cooperation, the report noted, citing commitments outlined in the 2025 BRICS Rio de Janeiro Declaration. New Delhi has also promoted the concept of the “5 Cs” for the Global South — consultation, cooperation, communication, creativity and capacity building — as a framework for collective progress.
The report said India’s BRICS presidency will place a strong emphasis on multilateralism, with a focus on reforming global governance institutions to make them more just, equitable, effective and accountable.
India has also underscored the importance of working with a diverse range of partners through initiatives such as its G20 presidency, development partnerships and multilateral platforms including BRICS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described BRICS as one of India’s key strengths in promoting diversity and multipolarity, a vision that is expected to guide New Delhi as it navigates current global pressures.
However, the report identified managing US pressure and its ripple effects within BRICS as the most significant challenge for India’s presidency.
The United States recently imposed tariffs of up to 50 per cent on imports from India and Brazil — the highest among BRICS members — sparking concerns within the grouping. Despite this, India has refrained from adopting a confrontational stance toward Washington, unlike Brazil, which threatened retaliation against what it termed “tariff blackmail.”
Instead, New Delhi has urged BRICS members to address trade imbalances with India while continuing to project the grouping as an alternative platform for the non-Western world. The report said this approach aligns with India’s long-standing foreign policy objective of empowering developing nations and reducing their dependence on Western economic assistance. (Source: IANS)
