India in BRICS: facilitator or spoiler?

The BRICS summit is rolling out a new financial guarantee fund via the New Development Bank to amp up investment and tame instability linked to unpredictable Western policies and global tensions. Over the years, BRICS has delivered heavyweights like the NDB and a $100 billion Contingent Reserve Arrangement, while intra-bloc trade soared to around $1 trillion by mid‑2025. China is steering the ship, acting as the main trading platform with over $210 billion flowing through it early this year, and it ranks fourth globally in financial competitiveness  .

Still, BRICS faces a crossroads India’s role remains a puzzle. Though the bloc has grown more diverse, India’s tight embrace of Western alliances and reliance on the US dollar system casts doubt over its commitment to de‑dollarisation, currency swaps, and trade in local currencies. India’s refusal to condemn Israel during the Iran–Israel conflict only fueled suspicions that it may be undercutting BRICS from within. This strategic ambiguity raises the question: Is India helping BRICS achieve its goals or quietly sabotaging them? 

Overview:

The article tracks BRICS’s evolution into a global economic powerhouse with bold financial architecture, and highlights the brewing tensions caused by India’s western leanings that could fracture its united front.

NOTES:

This article gives a striking example of the clash between economic integration and geopolitical strategy. It spotlights BRICS’s attempt to forge fearless financial autonomy through instruments like NDB‑backed guarantees, realistic trade figures, and de‑dollarisation. At the same time, it exposes how a single member nation’s external allegiances can derail collective aspirations—vital material for sections on International Relations, Global Institutions, and Foreign Policy.

Related CSS Syllabus Topics:

• International Relations: Multipolar world, bloc politics
• Current Affairs: BRICS expansion, global economic shifts
• Political Science: Realism vs Liberal economic strategy
• Pakistan Affairs: Pakistan’s diplomatic stance in changing global alliances
• Essay Paper: Economic governance, challenges in supranational organisations

Notes for Beginners:

BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. With trade hitting $1 trillion by June 2025, China is the biggest player, handling over $210 billion and ranking fourth in financial muscle globally. The group is building new financial tools like the BMG fund to reduce risks tied to global politics. But India’s simultaneous alignment with Western powers and its failure to take a solid stand during the Iran–Israel clash have raised doubts about whether it’s a true partner in pushing forward BRICS’s agenda to challenge Western dominance.

Facts and Figures:

• $1 trillion: Total intra-BRICS trade volume as of June 2025, showing the bloc’s deepening economic integration.
• $210 billion: China’s trade volume within BRICS by mid-2025, making it the bloc’s leading trade facilitator.
• $100 billion: Size of the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) created by BRICS to shield members from financial shocks.
• $50 billion: Initial capital of the New Development Bank (NDB), established to fund infrastructure and development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies.

• 4th rank: China’s current global ranking in financial competitiveness, reflecting its expanding influence in international finance.
• 2023 BRICS Summit: The event where discussions on de-dollarisation and trade in local currencies intensified.
• 5 founding members: BRICS was initially formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Recent summits aim at further expansion.
• Western dominance challenged: BRICS aims to counterbalance institutions like the IMF and World Bank, which are largely Western-controlled.

To sum up, BRICS has moved beyond rhetoric into real financial territory, aiming to redefine global economic rules and challenge dollar supremacy. But its future rests heavily on political unity. If India stays entrenched in Western ties while pursuing BRICS initiatives, the bloc’s vision for a truly independent Global South could fizzle out. It’s a high-stakes balancing act either BRICS rises as a credible alternative or its momentum is derailed from within.