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BRICS Expansion and India’s Multidirectional – Alignment
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Oğuz Diriöz
For DPE
January 20, 2025
As of 2025, Indonesia will become the newest full-member of the BRICS Group. This decision was actually first taken in August 2023 at the Johannesburg BRICS Summit. The other countries that were invited were Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia. Argentina later rejected, and Saudi Arabia later backed out in 2024. However, as Indonesia was preparing for general elections, it is only as of 2025 that the accession process was implemented.[1] With Indonesia, Egypt, and India, most of the countries of the non-Aligned movement are now part of the BRICS group. Although there were hesitations about whether joining BRICS would be contradictory to a non-aligned policy.[2] However, having other major countries of the original non-aligned movement (Egypt, India, and Indonesia), it can now be argued that BRICS incorporates major countries of the Global South. As BRICS is not yet a formal International Organization (IO), and a mostly economic grouping of countries, the grouping allows countries of the Global South to manage multi-directional foreign policy, balancing on one hand Western OECD Economies and on the other hand Russia and China. Yet the country probably with the most advantageous position, with the ability to balance on one hand NATO countries such as the United States and the EU, and on the other hand Russia and China, would be India.
Today, BRICS group of countries represents a significant portion of the global population and global economy, especially including India and China. The overall size of BRICS’ economies are together estimated to exceed the G7 group of counties, which include; USA, Canada, France, UK, Japan, Germany and Italy. BRICS was originally an acronym which stood for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the most important developing or emerging economies. BRICS became a group of states or a forum which now represents the most important voice of the Global South and the traditional non-aligned and non-OECD group of countries in the developing world.
However, the BRICS group is far from being a monolithic, and on the contrary can sometimes be internally divided. The BRICS group is viewed differently by the countries which are members. For instance Russia and China would promote BRICS and its enlargement to include Iran, as an alternative to the OECD, EU, and NATO – led Western states. While countries such as Brazil, India, and South Africa share more democratic values and are rules based societies, more in common with Western states. These three countries are also in a much better position to act as a counterweight between West and East.
India for instance which tries to have a leadership role in the Global South, has good relations with Western countries especially with the United States of America where the new President, Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor have expressed pro-India views, and their appointments were hailed by many Indian experts.[3] The outgoing Vice President Harris is of Indian ancestry. Also, Mr. Krishnan, the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) advisor of President Trump, is also of Indian origin.[4]
Hence India often acts as a counterweight within the BRICS amongst the more pro-Western States and anti-Western ones. The agendas furthered by Russia and China are not on the same page with Brazil, and South Africa. China and Russia tend to be more adversarial towards the Western and European countries. The balancing capabilities of India, both between North and South, as well as East and West have been praised by numerous experts.[5] While India was mostly noted to have non-aligned policies and acting as one of the leaders of the Global South, it was in the 2000’s onwards that under the leadership of late president Manmohan Singh[6], that India developed closer relations with the United States.[7]
India’s population, and therefore the sheer size of its rapidly growing economy, enables India to act as a counterweight of its own. India is, hence, in a special position to be able to both balance, but also to bridge East and West. Yet India, similar to Turkiye, Indonesia, or many other G 20 countries, is trying to manage the challenging relations between Russia and China on one hand, and The United States on the other.[8] As President Trump is beginning his second term, India is set to be one of the strategically close countries to the US President for his global policy balancing China. The US-China rivalry has been center of attention in recent years, and central to president Trump. While President Trumps has been very critical of BRICS, his tone towards India was the opposite.
Some of the biggest prospects, as well as the biggest challenges for India in 2025, would be to continue leading global economic growth.[9] For the last several years India experienced growth at over 6% annual growth levels, and while projections estimate such growth to continue over several years, it would still be a challenge to sustain such levels of economic growth. Economic growth would rely on trade and investments, thus effectively balanced relations with President Trump and President Putin. Incidentally, both Turkish and Indian government officials can meet at the top level both in Washington and in Moscow within the span of a few days.
While many countries have different foreign policy priorities and national interests, it is a shared interest for Turkiye and India to have a continued access to the global supply chains, to continue mutual trade, and to balance their multi-directional relations between the EU and USA on one hand, and with Russia and China on the other hand. While India is set to be on a strong position to have multi-directional policy as a BRICS member and with special relations with the USA, Turkiye is also a NATO country which has good relations with Russia and Ukraine. Hence, Turkiye and India have overlapping interests in balancing of East and West. Both India and Turkiye attach great importance to sustained trade, supply chains and logistics. Turkiye already does attach great importance to trade with the European Union, The United States, and India. USA and India are among the 55 priority export destinations according the Ministry of Trade’s Decision No. 5973 on Export Supports.[10] India and Turkiye have similar quests of multidirectional balancing East and West trade. The question is how much synergy could be created over the following years.
[1] Anadolu Ajansı : https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/indonesia-officially-joins-brics-brazil-announces/3443229
[2] CSIS: https://www.csis.org/blogs/latest-southeast-asia/latest-southeast-asia-indonesia-joins-brics
[3] Global Order: https://www.globalorder.live/post/president-trump-is-building-a-team-that-wants-a-strong-alliance-with-india?s=08. AND
[4] Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/ro-khanna-defends-indian-origin-sriram-krishnans-appointment-as-trumps-ai-advisor-calls-it-american-exceptionalism/articleshow/116652302.cms
[5] Economic Times: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/without-india-the-world-cant-really-move-forward-says-former-german-ambassador-walter-j-lindner/articleshow/116545868.cms?from=mdr
[6] Late President Singh passed away during the last days of 2024. Our condolences to his family and all citizens of India.
[7] The Business Standard: https://www.business-standard.com/opinion/columns/manmohan-singh-maker-of-modern-india-good-man-in-national-politics-124122701116_1.html
[8] Carnegie Endowment: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/interpreting-india/bridging-east-and-west-indias-pursuit-of-stability-amid-china-russia-and-us-dynamics?lang=en
[9] Devdiscourse: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/3226858-global-economic-prospects-challenges-ahead-in-2025-with-india-leading-growth
[10] Turkish Metal Exporters: https://www.turkishmetals.org/en/new/detail/2025-yili-ihracatta-hedef-ulkeler-listesi-519