Indian geopolitics expert: ‘BRICS is not an alliance – but Washington could make one’

Source: Berliner Zeitung | Original Published At: 2026-09-21 12:32:34 UTC

Key Points

• The 18th BRICS summit took place in New Delhi under the motto 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,' with 11 member states participating.
• Siddhant Kishore said BRICS is not a NATO-style alliance because it lacks a mutual defense clause, interoperable military arrangements, and common strategic goals.
• Kishore argued that de-dollarization is not occurring within BRICS and that no member has seriously moved away from dollar-based settlement.
• He said India used the summit to promote strategic autonomy and multi-alignment, seeking greater representation in the IMF, World Bank, and UN Security Council.
• The Delhi Declaration called for maximum restraint in Middle East conflicts and reforms of international institutions, without naming the United States, Israel, or Iran.
• Kishore described BRICS and the SCO as platforms for managing rivalry and maintaining dialogue among competing members, rather than unified blocs.
• He warned that U.S. pressure framing BRICS as a hostile bloc could inadvertently encourage cohesion among its diverse members.