India secured a major diplomatic win at the 18th BRICS Summit by advancing strategic autonomy, preventing geopolitical confrontation, strengthening Global South cooperation and securing strong condemnation of terrorism, including the 2025 Pahalgam attack, according to a report.
India’s strategic approach at the 18th BRICS Summit has emerged as a significant diplomatic success, with New Delhi balancing diverse interests within the grouping while keeping the focus on practical multilateralism, economic cooperation and the priorities of the Global South, according to a report.
India’s participation reflected a broader grand strategic objective aimed at strengthening the country’s global position while preserving its strategic autonomy. According to a report published by India Narrative, New Delhi worked to ensure that the BRICS platform did not become dominated by geopolitical confrontation or a contest for influence among major powers, particularly Russia and China.
The approach focused on keeping the grouping functional and relevant despite differences among its members. India sought to advance cooperation by placing economic interests, institutional reform and shared global challenges at the centre of discussions.
The report identified three important shifts as essential for India’s strategic autonomy to serve both national and global interests. The first involves making multilateralism more practical by supporting institutional and structural reforms in global governance instead of allowing bloc politics to dominate international forums.
The second is strengthening India’s BRICS vision through greater cooperation and resilience. The third involves projecting India as a major global player capable of offering strategic and sustainable alternatives to countries dealing with economic and geopolitical crises.
Supply-chain security, economic diversification and greater inclusivity are also part of this broader strategy, according to the report. These priorities allow India to pursue its own national interests while simultaneously contributing to wider international stability.
Hectic negotiations behind the scenes reportedly demonstrated a combination of strategic de-hyphenation and strategic autonomy. India’s policy of strategic de-hyphenation has allowed New Delhi to maintain independent relationships with countries that may have conflicting interests, without allowing bilateral disputes to derail multilateral engagement.
At the BRICS Summit, this approach helped India keep discussions focused beyond geopolitical conflicts and tensions. Strategic autonomy, meanwhile, provided space for New Delhi to bring different interests together and encourage greater attention to economic cooperation and the broader BRICS agenda.
The report noted that the combination of these diplomatic approaches helped reduce political tensions and create space for negotiations. It also enabled greater participation from the Global South in efforts to reach consensus on the summit declaration and other important issues.
A similar strategy was reportedly visible during India’s G20 presidency three years ago, when the grouping faced significant divisions because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. At that time too, India attempted to prevent geopolitical disagreements from overwhelming the wider economic and developmental agenda.
Expectations surrounding the BRICS Summit had included concerns that differences among member countries could prevent the adoption of a joint declaration. However, India’s diplomatic efforts helped shift the focus towards consensus-building and broader global concerns.
The report described the outcome as an indication of India’s growing diplomatic relevance. By attempting to align national interests with wider international priorities, New Delhi sought to ensure that the interests and concerns of the Global South remained central to the summit.
Another important dimension highlighted in the report was India’s position on terrorism. The BRICS declaration strongly reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
For India, the reference to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir represented a particularly significant diplomatic development. The attack, in which 26 people were killed and several others injured, had become a major issue in India’s diplomatic campaign against cross-border terrorism.
According to the report, the BRICS declaration condemned the Pahalgam attack in the strongest terms. It also addressed concerns surrounding the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and the existence of safe havens.
The declaration’s emphasis on zero tolerance towards terrorism and opposition to double standards in countering terrorism aligned closely with India’s long-standing diplomatic position. New Delhi has consistently called for a coordinated international response against terrorist networks, their financing channels and those providing shelter to militants.
The report also referred to India’s broader diplomatic engagements, including its position within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. India’s willingness to work within multilateral frameworks while retaining an independent strategic position has remained a central feature of its foreign policy.
The BRICS outcome therefore represents more than a single diplomatic achievement for New Delhi. It reflects India’s continuing effort to shape multilateral institutions according to a more inclusive and practical vision while avoiding rigid alignment with competing geopolitical blocs.
By combining strategic autonomy with diplomatic flexibility, India has sought to strengthen its influence without becoming confined to any particular power bloc. The approach also allows New Delhi to engage simultaneously with major powers and developing countries while promoting economic security, diversification and cooperation.
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The 18th BRICS Summit consequently provided India with an opportunity to demonstrate its expanding diplomatic role. Its emphasis on consensus, Global South representation, economic cooperation and a strong position against terrorism reinforced New Delhi’s broader ambition of emerging as a major and independent voice in global affairs.
