India defends decision to skip BRICS naval drill
Countries
Cooperation areas
Source: Times of India | Original Published At: 2026-01-17 19:30:00 UTC
Key Points
- India did not participate in the BRICS Naval Exercise, clarifying it was a South African initiative not institutionalized within BRICS mechanisms
- MEA spokesperson cited India's focus on the IBSAMAR (India-Brazil-South Africa) maritime exercise series as its primary trilateral naval cooperation platform
- India will assume BRICS chairmanship in 2026, with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar emphasizing the forum's importance for multilateral dialogue
- The South African-hosted exercise included China, Russia, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, occurring amid regional tensions
- India explicitly states it will not support BRICS' de-dollarization agenda despite expansion that added five new members in 2024-2025