New delhi: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to host the 18th BRICS summit this weekend in New Delhi, welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to India for the first time since 2019. This meeting comes at a pivotal time for India as its year-long BRICS presidency approaches its conclusion. The country is ramping up its engagement with China and Russia, all while navigating a complex relationship with Washington.
According to Deutsche Welle, Modi recently met with both Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31 and September 1. Just two weeks later, he is poised to meet them again in New Delhi for the BRICS summit. The forum, however, might limit Modi's diplomatic gains due to the growing size of BRICS and increasing internal divisions.
Indian diplomats are striving to maintain their strategic autonomy in a shifting international landscape. Ashok Kantha, a former Indian ambassador to China, noted that India's involvement with BRICS and the SCO is part of its longstanding strategy. "These groupings give India a seat at the table and allow it to pursue its own interests while maintaining relationships with different major powers," Kantha told DW.
Despite preparations for the Modi-Xi meeting in New Delhi, India and China's relations are tense. A border patrol agreement reached in 2024 ended a four-year military standoff, yet major issues persist, such as a significant trade deficit and disputes over market access. The meeting will be closely monitored for potential diplomatic progress, particularly in trade and investment.
India's BRICS presidency has highlighted the challenges of achieving consensus within the group, which has expanded from its original five members to eleven. With countries like Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia, and Egypt involved, reconciling different relationships with the US and varied interests in global conflicts is challenging. The inclusion of Iran and the UAE, which have opposing views on the war in Iran, further complicates matters.
Harsh Pant, vice president for Studies and Foreign Policy at the Observer Research Foundation, emphasized the difficulty in finding common ground within BRICS. "Differences between members such as Iran and the UAE show how difficult it can be to find common ground," he said. However, he noted that BRICS can still work on shared interests like reforming global economic governance, despite potential disagreements.
The rivalry between India and China also affects BRICS' future. India seeks to amplify the voices of developing countries within the group and support reforms in global institutions. New Delhi advocates for easier cross-border payments and increased use of national currencies in trade, while cautiously avoiding the notion of replacing the US dollar.
India's diplomatic strategy, described as "America Plus," involves strengthening economic and strategic ties with the US while maintaining its relationships with Russia and China. Strategic affairs analyst C Raja Mohan warns that as great-power rivalries intensify, India's balancing act will become more challenging. He notes that a more anti-Western BRICS could impact India's reliance on the West.
The upcoming Delhi summit will be a test of India's diplomatic prowess, particularly as it concludes its BRICS presidency. For Modi, the challenge is to advance India's priorities within BRICS without allowing the group to become dominated by China or turn into an anti-Western platform.