Will India Use ‘Cautious Language’ at BRICS Due to Trump’s Tariff Threats? Ex-Diplomat Srikumar Menon Explains

Source: Outlook India | Original Published At: 2026-09-10 17:41:59 UTC

Key Points

• The 2026 BRICS Leaders’ Summit is scheduled for September 12-13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
• Former diplomat Srikumar Menon says US tariff threats may push India to use more cautious language at the summit without changing its core BRICS agenda.
• India has rejected a common BRICS currency and an anti-dollar geopolitical agenda, preferring local-currency settlements and payment systems as tools for diversification and resilience.
• Menon describes India’s approach as “calibrated multi-alignment,” using BRICS for greater global governance and economic diversification while maintaining ties with the United States.
• China and Russia favor stronger de-dollarization and alternative financial structures, while India and Brazil focus on development, institutional reform, resilience and practical cooperation.
• A possible Trump-Xi-Putin meeting could increase Chinese and Russian influence within BRICS, but is not expected to change India’s core stance.
• India’s stated position is that BRICS should be “non-Western, not anti-Western,” focusing on reforming existing institutions rather than replacing them.