BRICS and India’s Policy of Strategic Autonomy

Source: Hindustan Times | Original Published At: 2026-09-09 05:15:36 UTC

Key Points

• The article presents India's hosting of the BRICS Summit as a test and projection of its policy of strategic autonomy.
• India is described as using BRICS to advance geopolitical and economic interests while engaging multiple global blocs.
• Strategic autonomy is characterized as an active, issue-based approach distinct from Cold War-era non-alignment.
• India's stated vision for BRICS includes economic democratisation, multipolarity, and functional cooperation in areas such as digital public infrastructure, disaster resilience, and counter-terrorism.
• The article argues that India seeks to prevent BRICS from becoming an ideological tool against the West while preserving partnerships with Washington and European capitals.
• Hosting the BRICS Summit is portrayed as demonstrating India's ability to anchor a non-Western bloc while maintaining an independent foreign policy.