India’s strategy within BRICS is being tested right now as U.S. President Donald Trump sets clear limits for what the grouping can and cannot do.India’s chairmanship of BRICS in 2026comes at a time when Trump’s red line threatens sanctions on any cooperation that’s deemed harmful to American interests, and this places New Delhi’s global south leadership ambitions under what many are calling intense scrutiny.
India took over the rotating BRICS presidency at the start of this year. It’s also worth noting that the bloc is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The timing couldn’t be more complicated for India’s BRICS strategy. After all, the grouping now faces pressure from Washington that wasn’t there before in quite the same way.
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Trump has been very clear about his position, and he hasn’t held back. On Truth Social, the U.S. President stated:
“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy.”
India’s strategy for navigating BRICS now requires what can only be described as careful navigation between competing interests.Wang Youming, who is a Senior Research Fellow at the BRICS Economic Think Tank at Tsinghua University, had this to say about the current situation:
“The U.S. president has been a bull in a china shop over the past year, shaking the international order to the core.”
India assumed the chairmanship with a theme that’s centered on “People-Centric, Humanity-First” approaches. This was announced by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. At the time of writing, Jaishankar has been emphasizing the forum’s value as an international cooperation platform.
External Affairs MinisterS. Jaishankarstated:
“As BRICS completes 20 years, it stands as a valuable forum for international cooperation, consultation and coordination, taking forward its people-centric agenda.”
Source: Watcher Guru
