Challenge for the West: BRICS and India’s Special Role

China and Russia are working together to reshape the international order by challenging the Western-led system and expanding their own global influence. One of their key instruments is BRICS, the grouping they established together with India, Brazil, and South Africa. Since then, the alliance has expanded by five additional members, while more than 40 countries have either expressed interest in joining or are actively pursuing membership. How great a challenge does BRICS pose to the West and to the rules-based international order as we know it?

To answer this question, it is worth taking a closer look at the internal dynamics of BRICS and the sometimes diverging interests of its most influential members. India, in particular, plays a pivotal role. As a founding member and an emerging global power with nearly 1.5 billion people, India occupies a unique position within the grouping. Traditionally, Indian foreign policy has been guided by the principle of strategic autonomy. Prime Minister Modi's government maintains close relations with all major powers while carefully avoiding alignment with any one of them—especially with China, India's principal strategic rival in Asia.

What does this mean for India's current BRICS presidency and for the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi? These are the questions at the heart of our discussion. We look forward to welcoming you to this event. It will be held in English. You may attend in person or join via livestream.