BRICS Summit in New Delhi: A Test for Indian Diplomacy Amid Global Tensions

The 18th BRICS summit is being held in New Delhi on September 12-13. The meeting comes as regional tensions in the Middle East and Europe pose one of the biggest tests for the bloc since its founding 20 years ago. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the key leaders in attendance.

On the sidelines, Iran-India relations are in focus as Tehran seeks to bypass economic pressure from Washington and pursues membership in the BRICS New Development Bank. Iran is aiming to deepen trade and energy cooperation with key partners including China, India, and Russia. Simultaneously, the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping is viewed as a significant step toward normalizing bilateral relations following the 2020 border clashes.

Vladimir Putin also met with Modi in a bilateral session, emphasizing the expansion of energy and defense cooperation. The Kremlin stated that India's imports of Russian energy have reached a new record. Meanwhile, India is attempting to balance the competing interests of BRICS members, including the U.S.-China rivalry and tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the UAE.

Harsh V. Pant, vice president at the Observer Research Foundation, told Fox News that New Delhi’s leadership of BRICS is an exercise in managing contradictions. He noted that the biggest challenge is ensuring BRICS remains a platform for advancing 'Global South' priorities rather than becoming an arena for great-power rivalry. India is attempting to maintain strong ties with Washington while continuing to engage Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran.