BRICS as a Non-Western Economic Platform: BRICS positions itself as a non-Western, economic-focused organization, promoting cooperation and stability in the Global South without competing directly with Western blocs like the G7.
Challenges from China’s Influence: China’s attempts to assert leadership within BRICS, particularly by aligning with anti-Western countries, pose a challenge to the group’s cohesion and its original economic goals.
India’s Key Role in BRICS Unity: India is uniquely positioned to balance geopolitical dynamics within BRICS, promoting economic prosperity while ensuring all members feel equally valued, avoiding dominance by any one country.
The BRICS summit will start on the 26th of October in Kazan, marking the return of the BRICS presidency to Russia, one of its founding members, after a long gap. Preparations are already underway, and yesterday, President Vladimir Putin of Russia addressed the BRICS Business Forum, where he discussed important topics concerning BRICS. He mentioned that the association’s contribution to global GDP per capita has now surpassed that of the G7 countries, standing at 35%, and that it represents 43% of the world’s population—a figure expected to increase in the future.
This BRICS summit is particularly significant as it is the first one following the inclusion of five new members: Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, many other countries are still awaiting their candidacy to join BRICS. Given the global attention BRICS is receiving—not just in the Global South but also from the West—it is crucial to understand how an association initially created for emerging economies has now reached a position where it challenges major power blocs like the G7.
BRICS was created after the global financial crisis, which caused significant problems for the world economy. The task force aimed to bring stability back to the global economy, with a focus on emerging economies, as the crisis originated in the United States of America. This is how Brazil, Russia, India, China, and later South Africa came together to form the BRICS economic bloc. It is important to understand that BRICS is a geo-economic platform and has nothing to do with geopolitics or military strategy. What BRICS has managed to do is provide a positive economic platform for the world.
Since 1945, the world has been ruled by a Western-led global order, whether in the economic or political sphere, and this global order has been dictated by the West, with other countries forced to follow it. Not only has this system been biased toward the West, but it has also been highly non-inclusive. The greatest example of this is the United Nations Security Council, which has two members from Europe but no representation from the entire Latin America, Africa, or the world’s fifth-largest economy and third-largest in Asia, India. This has led the Global South to feel isolated within the Western-led global order.
Furthermore, this Western-led global order has failed to solve the major challenges of the world. Conflicts persist, and the United Nations has not been able to prevent wars. War has now become a common aspect of contemporary geopolitics, and many countries around the world continue to suffer from fundamental issues like food security, basic education, and human rights. This indicates that the current global order is not only closed but also incapable of addressing these fundamental problems in a changing world.
The Global South, therefore, is increasingly attracted to BRICS, which promotes itself as an economic platform focused on the exchange of views, experiences, and prosperity, aiming to restore economic stability, which in turn would contribute to political stability. What further attracts countries to BRICS is its global representation. This is why BRICS is often compared to the G7. While the G7 has only one non-Euro-Atlantic member, Japan, BRICS has diverse representation across the globe: Brazil from the Americas, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt from the African continent, and others representing different regions.
The world is excited and enthusiastic about BRICS, but there are some fundamental problems that exist, as pointed out by experts. As the group grows, people have started to compare BRICS with the G7. However, it is crucial to understand that BRICS should not compare itself or perceive itself as similar to any other association. BRICS is an independent organization, and for its success, it is important that it continues to exist as an independent entity, without being compared to any other groups.
When BRICS is seen through a negative lens, countries that have largely suffered under the Western-led global order may feel that they are not part of the West’s system. Now, with an association like BRICS, they may worry that it could lead to similar issues, which would create doubt toward BRICS. It’s important that BRICS continues as an economic alternative for the world, without comparisons. Being seen as an alternative to the G7 will naturally occur within BRICS. However, the more BRICS tries to position itself as an alternative to the G7, the easier it will be for the West to create a negative image of BRICS. That’s why the statement by Prime Minister Modi becomes relevant, as reiterated by President Putin at the BRICS Business Forum, where Prime Minister Modi said that BRICS is not an anti-West association but rather a non-West association.
The problem for BRICS does not stop here. This perception of BRICS being compared to the G7 is not only made by political observers across the world but also exists internally within BRICS, particularly with one country: China. China wants BRICS to align with countries that are adversaries of the West and pro-China. By doing so, China seeks to assert its de facto leadership within BRICS and use the organization to further its vision of becoming a new superpower. At times, this approach by China has been supported by Russia as well.
It is important to understand that the criteria for countries to become BRICS members should not be based on opposition to the West or alignment with China. Instead, membership should be based on the countries’ ability to add economic value to the association. However, with the recent inclusion of new members, there is a perception that China had a dominant influence in inviting these countries.
Given the current realities within BRICS, India’s importance and influence have never been higher. India is uniquely positioned to align BRICS with its true objective of economic prosperity, rather than allowing geopolitics to replace geo-economics. India, with its strong relationships with both the West and BRICS members, can serve as an ambassador for BRICS, communicating to other nations that BRICS is not anti-Western, but rather a non-Western association.
India can also use its diplomacy to foster greater domestic stability within BRICS, ensuring that every member feels important and equal. The perception that no one country is larger or more influential than another should be reinforced. Any attempts by certain countries to establish de facto leadership within BRICS should be nullified, emphasizing that all members, regardless of their geographic or economic strengths, are equally important. A more united BRICS will not only reach its goals faster but also contribute more effectively to global stability and growth.
References:
1)https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/battle-brics
Megha Joshy Mathew