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While the media speculated that India was not keen on the BRICS’s expansion, India skilfully crafted a strategy to have rule-based criteria for admission into the group that would help in maintaining the nature of the group as a multilateral organisation. India does not see BRICS as an organisation opposed to the West but rather as a group of nations that can cooperate to work for global peace and economic development.    

PM Modi declared at the BRICS Summit that India believes in the motto “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” This concept negates hegemonic tendencies, expansionism, aggressiveness, and coercion. China epitomises all these dimensions that are responsible for global tensions. India is opposed to hegemony by any country in the group and understands that pragmatism demands that it counter such tendencies by remaining in touch with strategically important, like-minded nations. 

Of late, India has adopted an active foreign policy: it is not going to have only a ringside view in international or regional affairs but to make a positive contribution to shaping the global environment conducive to economic growth. Along with actively pursuing Act East, Central, and West Asia policies, India is reaching out to African and Latin American countries. The purpose is to enhance its trade with the countries there and secure the supply chains. Its Indo-Pacific approach is also guided by these aspects and is an important member of Quad.    

PM Modi’s moves at the recent summit in Johannesburg amply testified India’s pragmatic approach. While pointing out that India gave a new direction to the BRICS in some critical fields like the Railway Research Network, closer cooperation between the MSMEs, online BRICS database, and the Startup Forum, he gave five constructive suggestions for further broadening cooperation among the member countries. These included the creation of a BRICS Space Exploration Consortium for global good in areas like space research and weather monitoring; enhancing cooperation in education, skill development, and technology to make societies ready to face future challenges; skill mapping to identify each other’s strengths to complement each other in the journey of development; the creation of the International Big Cat Alliance for their protection; and the creation of a repository of traditional medicine. 

Underlining India’s successes in the fields of education and public delivery systems, he mentioned DIKSHA, i.e., Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing platform to provide education to the children of remote and rural areas; 10,000 Atal tinkering labs across the country to promote innovation among school students; CoWIN platform for vaccination; and public service delivery through Digital Public Infrastructure. He expressed that India could share these platforms with BRICS partners. 

On the expansion of the BRICS, he declared that India fully supports the expansion of the BRICS membership. In his typical style, he mentioned how BRICS has moved from 2016 under the chairmanship, when it was defined as “Building Responsive, Inclusive, and Collective Solutions” to now as “Breaking barriers, Revitalizing economies, Inspiring Innovation, Creating opportunities, and Shaping the future.” He asked the members to actively contribute actively to making the new definition meaningful. At the retreat, PM Modi suggested that guidelines be finalised for admission. This was aimed at admitting countries on a ruled base system rather than admitting counties haphazardly to allow some countries to admit their favourites to dominate the organisation. 

All six countries that have been admitted, viz. Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, are strategically important for India and the group. India is cognizant of the fact that the Global South deserves importance, and it has emerged as its voice. India has proposed to give permanent membership to the African Union in G-20. He exhorted the BRICS members to support this proposal at the G-20 Summit.  

India-Argentina relations were elevated to the level of Strategic Partnership in 2019 during the State visit of the President of Argentina. The two countries have strengthened their ties in various areas, including political, economic, cultural, and scientific cooperation. India is the 4th largest trading partner of Argentina, with bilateral trade touching a historic peak of USD 6.4 billion in the year 2022, recording a growth rate of 12% over 2021. Exports from India to Argentina was worth USD 1.84 billion (31% growth rate) while India’s imports from Argentina were worth USD 4.55 billion in that year. India-Argentina bilateral trade during the fiscal year 2022-23 was USD 4.16 billion, with India’s exports to Argentina valued at USD 961 million and Argentina’s exports to India valued at USD 3.20 billion. For Latin American Countries, Argentina is pivotal. 

Ethiopia, which is strategically situated at the horn of Africa and is the headquarters of the African Union, has friendly relations with India. India has renewed its focus since the last decade, notwithstanding China’s increasing influence in that country. Bilateral trade between Ethiopia and India stood at USD 2.8 billion in 2022, out of which Ethiopia’s exports were about USD 80 million. Bilateral trade between Ethiopia and India stood at USD 1.8 billion in 2021, out of which Ethiopia’s exports were about USD 75.13 million. India is the second-largest trading partner for Ethiopia, accounting for 10.2% of Ethiopia’s global trade. India has established a task force for African economic integration and to tap into African agriculture’s potential for economic development of the continent and beyond. In this task, Ethiopia can be very useful.    

Iran is important for Chabahar port, which is important for trade with the Central Asian countries and is an important node in the International North South Transport Corridor. It was during the Indian National Security Advisors meeting that President Raeisi pointed out the importance of SCO and BRICS, reflecting his desire for the membership of the BRICS. India and Iran have common interests in Afghanistan and both support the establishment of an inclusive government with meaningful participation of all groups and ethnicities there. Its influence on some Islamic nations is increasing and can be helpful in countering terrorism.

Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia constitute influential Islamic countries and appreciate India’s point of view. Their support to counter Pakistani moves in the OIC can be of great help. In June 2023, during PM Modi’s visit to Egypt, the relationship was elevated to strategic partnership. Egypt has formed an “India Unit” in its Cabinet that will be useful for bilateral relations. With Saudi Arabia, India signed the Strategic Partnership Council Agreement in 2019 under Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia has also extended support for countering terrorism. The UAE and India have had close relations for a long time and cover several fields including economics, defence, space, etc. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have a positive view of J&K despite pressure from Pakistan. They told Pakistan in 2019 that J&K was not a Muslim issue. In the context of Pakistan’s continuing rants to internationalise the J&K issue with the connivance of China, it is important to have close relations with these countries. 

The broad picture is that India has made deft moves keeping in view the need to counter Pakistan’s terrorist activities with the active support of China, and China’s hegemonic designs. India has strengthened its position in the BRICS that will ensure that it does not become a tool of China. Out of 22 countries that applied for BRICS membership, only six were admitted, and this reflects India’s growing ability to check China’s manoeuvres in the organisation. India will require to maintain the same level of vigilance, when BRICS considers further expansion.                                                

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