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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know . i i i . – t ’ a l y n t k News India Times (January 24, 2026 - January 30, 2026) January 30, 2026 26 India’s 77th Republic Day BRICS 2026- Implications For A Multipolar World The transatlantic alliance is also going through an unprecedented stress. Hence, desire for cross regional connections be- tween and among the mini and plurilat- erals is not surprising. In any case, India, being the founding member of the BRICS and QUAD, supposedly on two oppos- ing ends of the spectrum, believes that BRICS is not anti-West but a non-West- ern alternative representing cross con- tinental aspirations of major economies and countries from the Global South with China and Russia as the P-5 members. India can easily become a credible bridge and bridge builder between the divergent groupings across the EastWest and North south divide given its inclusive and universalistic approaches enshrined in the foreign policy ambit of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ -theWorld is one family. Since the US Investment Banker Jim O’ Neil expounded about the promising and emerging economies as BRIC Group with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, it has grown to ten members with several middle powers including South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and UAE. Saudi Arabia remains interested and continues to participate in the meet- ings while Argentina, under its new pro- US political dispensation, decided to opt out of it. At the Kazan Summit, it was also decided to have associate members as partner countries since over two dozen nations have expressed deep desire to join the BRICS which has acquired a new heft in a disrupted world order . BRICS represents nearly half of the world population with India as the most popu- lous country with exceptional human resource; also nearly 40% of the global GDP comparing rather well with G7 – China and India leading the economic pack with India being the fastest growing major economy in the world recently surpassed Japan to become the 4th largest. It com- prises of a group with biggest producers and consumers of energy as well as enviable heft in critical miner- als and technologies. The group believes in mutual respect and mutual interests .Even with politically and economically divergent systems and approaches it enjoys a high diplomatic weight and sheer scale . India, as the Chair in 2026, will be hosting the BRICS Summit and large number of sectoral meetings ranging from commerce, connectivity, currency and counter-terrorism and culture to technology and fintech, education, R&D, traditional medicine and youth and sports exchanges. A key quest for BRICS and India is the urgency and imperative for global institutional reforms especially that of UN and UNSC which is threaten- ing to become irrelevant, having been consigned to postWorld War II mindset of victor and the vanquished of the P-5 veto powers. Moreover, for President Trump, driven by his MAGA constituency, the weaponi- sation of financial instru- ments should be a one way street and their prerogative and de-dollarization the big redline. Already, the five origi- nal BRICS countries are in the cross hairs of USA including Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa compressing them in his high and unreasonable game of tariffs. BRICS is trying to provide a viable alternative bereft of dominance and dictation especially in the context of South-South cooperation despite mem- bers ranging from largest democracy to totalitarian states. But its internal diver- sity reinforces multipolarity and options. It challenges the western dominance by providing a more beneficial cooperative and consensual landscape along with certain institutions like the New Devel- opment Bank. There is an effort to create new BRICS currency on which countries like India are still not convinced even though this trend has been initiated due to unilateral and abrasive sanctions and the weapon- ization of financial instruments forcing the rest of the world to secure themselves through transactions in national curren- cies. This trend could become a major force multiplier for multipolarity in times to come. Instead of a single global security architecture, multipolarity promotes re- gionalised security systems: The original five of BRICS have varying roles in the regional security dynamic- Russia shapes Eurasian security dynamics; China domi- nates East Asian strategic calculations; India asserts influence in the Indian Ocean, South Asia and Global South in general; Brazil and South Africa act as regional stabilizers. This decentralzsation reduces global uniformity but increases regional power competition, sometimes heightening local instability. This also has an internal challenge as competing powers within an organisation including BRICS may slow down integration pro- cess and block hegemonistic projects. Interestingly, India is also slated to host the QUAD Summit in 2026 with US, Japan, and Australia despite some uncertainty. This provides a unique opportunity to India to iron out certain misperceptions while bridging the gaps seeped in zero sum games through a better understanding and cooperation between the perceived rival groups and camps. Global challenges require global solidarity. BRICS is not aiming to replace the existing world order but is hoping to reshape the multipolar collaborative matrix. This is a process in motion but a potent force which will continue to strengthen as long as the powerful coun- tries will resort to hypocrisy and under- mine the very institutions, they them- selves had created through unilateral and unifocal approaches. India is a voice of reason and believes in bridging the divides through dialogue and diplomacy and reforms of the existing institutions and not necessarily their replacement. 2026 will witness the continuation of this policy even dur- ing India’s BRICS pres- idency while working for multipolarity and multilateralism which are under serious threat. PM Narendra Modi has so aptly redefined the BRICS to mean as Building Resilience and In- novation for Coopera- tion and Sustainabil- ity. He further added that “condemning terrorism should be our principle not just a convenience.” (Anil Trigunayat is a former Indian Ambas- sador to Jordan, Libya, and Malta and currently a distinguished fellow with prestigious Thinks Tanks like Vivekananda International Founda- tion and United Services Institute of India.) PHOTO:HTTPS://WWW.BRICS2026.GOV.IN/BRICS-INDIA-2026/ PHOTO:REUTERS/PILAR OLIVARES BRICS LOGO. Leaders of the BRICS group react during the family photo during the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 7, 2025. - Continued From Page 18 French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wave from the balcony during the inauguration of the Indian Consulate as part of a visit in Marseille, France, February 12, 2025. PHOTO:REUTERS/CHRISTIAN HARTMANN/POOL