India in BRICS: Walking a Fine Line Between Influence and Limitation

 India in BRICS: Walking a Fine Line Between Influence and Limitation

As China’s economic dominance continues to shape the global order, India finds itself at a crossroads within multilateral platforms like BRICS. What once seemed like a promising stage to boost New Delhi’s global influence now increasingly feels like a space that serves Beijing’s interests more than India’s. While these institutions were once heralded as alternatives to Western-led power structures, the reality today is far more complex — and for India, more constrained.

India has long pursued a foreign policy that emphasizes strategic autonomy. In practical terms, that means New Delhi avoids putting all its eggs in one basket and instead works with multiple global powers depending on the issue. Whether it’s partnering with the United States on defense and technology, or maintaining energy and diplomatic ties with Russia, India has made it a point to keep its options open. This strategy has helped India remain flexible on the world stage, limiting its dependence on any one country.

In that context, India’s involvement in forums like BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) initially made a lot of sense. These platforms offered India a seat at the table among influential non-Western powers. They also provided a counterbalance to the dominance of the U.S.-led global order, especially in economic institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

When BRICS was founded, its primary appeal was as a coalition of emerging economies pushing for reforms in global governance. It was meant to challenge the outdated structures of international finance that continued to favor developed Western nations. For India, this offered a valuable opportunity: joining hands with countries like Brazil and South Africa gave India leverage to argue for more equitable voting rights and a larger share of influence within institutions like the IMF.

Moreover, BRICS served as a way for India to build alliances across the Global South — an increasingly important aspect of its foreign policy. As the United States under Donald Trump pursued a more erratic and isolationist approach to foreign affairs, it became even more critical for India to diversify its global partnerships. In theory, BRICS should have helped with that.

But over time, the dynamics within BRICS have shifted, and not necessarily in India’s favor. China’s growing clout within the grouping has turned it into something of a one-man show. The bloc, originally intended to amplify collective voices, now appears to tilt heavily toward Beijing’s priorities. This imbalance makes it harder for India to assert its own strategic objectives, especially given the ongoing tensions between the two neighbors.

India’s presence in BRICS today is therefore a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it remains an important diplomatic space — a symbol of India’s global engagement beyond the West. On the other hand, India often finds itself walking on eggshells, having to navigate the forum’s China-centric agenda while trying not to lose its own voice.

As BRICS expands its membership and further evolves, India will need to reassess whether the benefits of staying in outweigh the limitations it currently faces. For now, the best strategy might still be to play both sides — engaging with BRICS to maintain influence in the Global South, while simultaneously strengthening ties with Western democracies and other like-minded nations to ensure its broader strategic goals aren't compromised.