New Delhi is currently hosting the 18th BRICS Summit, a pivotal event that underscores India's rapidly expanding international presence. This gathering highlights a broader trend: India's active participation across 12 major global groupings, reflecting a foreign policy strategy that prioritizes influence and strategic autonomy over allegiance to any single power center.
A Multi-Aligned Foreign Policy
Since 1991, India's foreign policy has significantly shifted from traditional non-alignment to a dynamic approach of strategic autonomy and issue-based multi-alignment. This allows New Delhi to engage simultaneously with nations that may possess competing strategic interests, fostering cooperation on specific issues rather than committing to fixed geopolitical blocs. This nuanced strategy enables India to navigate an increasingly fragmented and multipolar global system effectively.
Key Global Groupings and India's Role
India is notably the only country represented across all 12 major groupings spanning security, trade, connectivity, energy, technology, and global economic governance. This diverse engagement portfolio serves distinct national interests.
BRICS and G20
BRICS provides a crucial platform for India to collaborate with other emerging and developing economies on issues of global governance, finance, and economic cooperation. Similarly, the G20 remains a paramount forum for global economic decision-making, where India, having chaired in 2023, has consistently advocated for the interests of the Global South.
Quad and SCO
The Quad, comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia, facilitates cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, addressing maritime security, resilient supply chains, and technological advancements. Concurrently, India maintains its membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where it pursues interests such as counter-terrorism and engagement with Central Asian nations, despite the central roles played by China and Russia.
Broader Engagements
India's reach extends further through its involvement in groupings like the East Asia Summit, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), BIMSTEC, IORA, I2U2, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). These platforms reinforce India's neighborhood priorities, Indian Ocean strategy, and deepen engagement with the Middle East and Europe. Furthermore, the International Solar Alliance and Global Biofuels Alliance showcase India's leadership in climate and energy cooperation initiatives.
India at the Center of a Multipolar World
India's unique membership across all 12 major groupings stands in stark contrast to other global powers; for instance, the US, Japan, and Australia are members of six each, while China and Russia belong to four. This breadth of participation highlights India's deliberate effort to collaborate with various power centers without becoming dependent on any single one. In a rapidly evolving global order, these overlapping partnerships are instrumental in asserting India's strategic autonomy and converting its growing economic and geopolitical weight into greater international influence.