Beyond BRICS, Quad: Focus on mundane over grand designs

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a multi-nation tour across two continents, there is much to do on the bilateral front with all of them. The main destination is Brazil, where the annual BRICS summit is being held. The long journey to South America has also opened doors for bilateral engagements with Argentina and Trinidad and Tobago. En route to and from the region, the PM is stopping over in Ghana and Namibia. But this is no time for expansive ideological ambition. India must focus instead on securing its interests in a turbulent world.

Not too long ago, BRICS seemed well-placed to change the world. But the deepening divisions within BRICS — most notably between India and China — highlight the forum’s internal contradictions. The refusal of Argentine President Javier Milei to join BRICS further underlines that not all nations see the forum with starry eyes.