Poonam Sharma
India’s Moment Arrives
The world order is increasingly fragmenting, and India prepares for one of its most defining geopolitical roles yet-to lead BRICS in 2026. After more than a decade of strategic patience, New Delhi stands at the center of a new global conversation-not as a participant, but rather as a potential architect of the next world order.
Already in the 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, India’s foreign policy has been shaped from a basically reactive to a proactive one. The upcoming presidency of BRICS will be a culmination and a new beginning-a test for India in its balancing between the Western bloc and the rising voices of the Global South.
From G20 to BRICS: India’s Expanding Diplomatic Canvas
India’s presidency of the G20 in 2023 will be more than just a multilateral achievement; it will be a signal of intent. Hosting more than 200 meetings across 60 cities and engaging universities, youth groups, and civil society, India is turning diplomacy into a national movement. The Voice of Global South Summit-a platform launched by Modi-showed that India was no longer content to be a silent observer but was positioning itself as the voice of emerging nations left behind by the post-1945 Western order.
In BRICS 2026, it is likely that India will repeat that model and expand. The focus will be on inclusion: bringing African, ASEAN, and Middle Eastern nations into deeper cooperation with BRICS. Unlike the G20, which remains half-Western, BRICS stands as a non-Western platform — a space where the developing world can negotiate on equal footing.
The Western Response: Think Tanks and Sanctions
But not everyone is embracing this development. Reports and analyses from a multitude of think tanks in Washington and London, such as the Hudson Institute, have already warned about “how to break up BRICS.” To them, India’s rising assertiveness-especially its outreach to Africa and the Middle East-represents a strategic threat to the Western monopoly over global finance and technology.
It would therefore also make sense that such organizations may advocate for the imposition of sanctions, trade barriers, or financial restrictions as a means of slowing down BRICS. Currency control, forex bans, or exclusion from technology-sharing agreements could be part of a greater containment strategy, especially if BRICS starts creating some form of independent payment system or energy exchange mechanism outside of the dollar system.
India’s Strategy: Balance and Expansion
But India has shown remarkable dexterity in balancing global powers. For instance, while strengthening its ties with the U.S., Japan, and Europe through QUAD and Indo-Pacific engagements, New Delhi has simultaneously deepened cooperation with Russia, Brazil, and South Africa under BRICS.
As BRICS expands-with countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and perhaps even Afghanistan joining as observers-India’s diplomatic playbook will get increasingly complicated. But it also presents a seminal opportunity: to guide the world’s largest cohort of developing economies.
For Africa, BRICS under India’s leadership represents access to technology, investment, and infrastructure without political strings. For ASEAN, this means joining a framework where both China and India are present-but this time with New Delhi at the helm to ensure balance and inclusivity.
The Emerging East-West Divide
A major consequence of this new phase of BRICS could be the quiet realignment of Eastern Europe. After years of being embroiled in the war in Ukraine, several Eastern European countries are growing tired of the unending conflict and the economic hardship that comes with it. They are now signaling interest in a more multipolar framework-one where they can trade freely with both the West and the Global South.
That’s where India’s diplomatic capital comes in. Its historical neutrality, growing economic strength, and digital innovation ecosystem offer a model that neither threatens nor dominates-but collaborates.
If BRICS evolves into a “Voice of the South” bloc, with India at its core, it could reshape financial systems, global trade flows, and even the geopolitics of technology and defense.
The Coming Power Shift
By 2026, India is not just going to host another summit; it is going to preside over a turning point in world politics. The post–World War II institutions — IMF, World Bank, UN Security Council — are increasingly seen as relics of a bygone era. BRICS, in contrast, embodies the spirit of the 21st century: a multipolar, multicultural, multi-directional world.
If it succeeds in putting together BRICS with African and ASEAN nations behind a developmental agenda, it would not only challenge Western economic control but equally redefine what global governance means in the new century.
The United States may try to readjust, perhaps by reducing tariffs or selectively reaching out to BRICS countries to avoid complete isolation. Yet, the geopolitical tide appears one way: from dominance to dialogue, from exclusivity to inclusion.
Conclusion: The Dawn of New Order
When India assumes the BRICS presidency in 2026, it will do so not as a peripheral power but as a civilizational force reclaiming its global role. The Modi leadership has already shown that India can blend pragmatism with vision-from countering terrorism and managing crises to championing inclusive growth. And while the West wrestles with internal fatigue and declining influence, India’s rise through BRICS could symbolize a larger awakening: the return of the Global South as the decisive actor in shaping world affairs. The question now is whether India can convert this moment into momentum over the coming years, changing the BRICS from a diplomatic forum into the building block of a genuinely multipolar world.
