The Importance of Quad and BRICS for India 

Syllabus :GS 2/International relations 

In Context

• India will push its Indo-Pacific agenda through a meeting of Quad foreign ministers at the end of July in Tokyo.

About 

• India plays a pivotal role through its engagements in various multilateral groupings like the Quad and BRICS.
  • These platforms serve as critical arenas for India to assert its strategic interests, enhance its economic influence, and foster international partnerships.

The Strategic Significance of Quad

• The Quad has emerged as a key platform for promoting a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region. 

• Counterbalancing China’s Influence:  For India, the Quad holds immense strategic significance, particularly in balancing China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
  • This is particularly crucial for India’s interests in safeguarding its maritime trade routes and ensuring freedom of navigation in international waters.
• Platform for military cooperation  : It provides a platform for military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and joint exercises aimed at maintaining maritime security and ensuring the rule of law.
•  Aligns with its “Act East” policy : India’s participation in the Quad aligns with its “Act East” policy, emphasizing deeper engagement with East Asian nations and strengthening maritime security cooperation. 
• India benefits from enhanced relations, especially with the U.S., through Quad engagements.
• Diplomatic Leverage: The Quad also serves as a diplomatic platform for India to strengthen bilateral relationships with the United States, Japan, and Australia, forging deeper strategic partnerships that extend beyond maritime security to include areas like trade, technology, and global governance.

Importance BRICS 

• BRICS focused primarily on economic cooperation, development, and global governance reform. 
• Economic Cooperation:BRICS facilitates economic collaboration through initiatives such as the New Development Bank (NDB), aimed at funding infrastructure projects in member countries.
  • Economic collaboration within BRICS facilitates trade diversification, technology transfer, and infrastructure development, which are crucial for India’s economic growth and development aspirations.
• Global Governance Reform: India uses BRICS as a platform to advocate for reforms in international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, aiming to increase the voice and representation of emerging economies in global economic governance.
• Cultural and Academic Exchange: BRICS fosters cultural and academic exchanges, promoting people-to-people ties and enhancing mutual understanding among member countries.

Challenges

•  India’s involvement in the Quad has drawn reactions from China, which views the grouping as a containment strategy. 
•  Member countries of BRICS have diverse economic and geopolitical priorities, which can sometimes hinder consensus-building on key issues.
• Despite initiatives like the NDB, the effectiveness of BRICS institutions in driving economic development and addressing global challenges remains a subject of scrutiny.
• India, despite reservations, has reluctantly accepted BRICS expansion influenced by China and Russia’s alignment.
• Chinese influence is growing not just in the Indo-Pacific, but elsewhere too.
  •  ASEAN countries are getting increasingly vulnerable, with the South China Sea remaining a flashpoint.

Conclusion and Way Forward 

• India’s participation in the Quad and BRICS reflects its multifaceted approach to global diplomacy, encompassing security cooperation, economic development, and global governance reform. While these groupings offer platforms for India to advance its strategic and economic interests on the global stage, they also present challenges that require careful navigation and diplomatic engagement. 
• As India continues to navigate the complexities of international relations, its engagement in the Quad and BRICS remains pivotal in shaping a multipolar world order conducive to its long-term strategic and economic interests.
• India must navigate its participation in the Quad and  BRICS  without undermining its longstanding policy of strategic autonomy and non-alignment.