18th BRICS Summit: India’s Balancing Act

Source: Le Journal Du Dimanche | Original Published At: 2026-09-06 12:00:06 UTC

Key Points

• India presides over the 18th BRICS summit amid tensions among major members, including China, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
• Xi Jinping's expected visit to India highlights bilateral trade and the unresolved Himalayan border dispute, with China becoming India's top trading partner in 2025.
• India's large trade deficit with China, reported at 112.16 billion dollars, shapes expectations for commercial concessions and diplomatic balancing.
• India remains a major buyer of discounted Russian crude while facing pressure from the United States to reduce such imports and shift purchases toward Washington.
• Iran's push for BRICS to condemn actions by the United States and Israel clashes with the positions of the United Arab Emirates, complicating consensus within the bloc.
• India seeks to preserve relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran, given the importance of Gulf energy, Indian workers abroad, and the Chabahar port link to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• The summit tests whether India can maintain BRICS cohesion, produce a joint declaration, and uphold its non-alignment doctrine.