Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi were never just about the two countries catching up on bilateral ties. They came a day before the BRICS summit, and they put a much bigger question on the table. Can this bloc of emerging economies actually turn into a real counterweight to Western influence, or does it remain a talking shop with limited teeth?
Why Putin Is Pushing For A Stronger BRICS?
Putin used a business forum on the sidelines to make his pitch loud and clear. He accused Western nations of trying to hold onto their economic dominance through unfair means, going as far as claiming attempts to block shipping routes and seize vessels. His argument was that sanctions and tariffs are being used as tools to punish countries that refuse to fall in line. For Russia, squeezed by sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine, BRICS offers a way to build parallel systems for trade and payments that don’t run through Western controlled channels. Special envoy Kirill Dmitriev framed it as a shift from a political grouping to something more practical, focused on business and technology cooperation between member nations.
India’s Position Is More Complicated
New Delhi’s situation is nowhere near as straightforward. India sits inside BRICS and shares a long history with Russia, yet it also depends heavily on its relationships with the United States, Europe and Gulf countries for trade and security. This balancing act has only gotten trickier with wars in Ukraine and West Asia disrupting shipping lanes and putting Indian seafarers at risk. Washington’s threats of steep tariffs over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil add another layer of pressure that India has so far chosen to absorb rather than back down from.
Modi-Putin Relationship Goes Beyond Defence
It would be a mistake to reduce this relationship to arms deals alone. Energy remains a massive pillar, with India among the top buyers of Russian crude. Trade between the two nations is being pushed toward a hundred billion dollar target by 2030, up from around seventy billion currently. There’s also growing talk of connectivity projects and technology partnerships, areas that rarely make headlines but matter just as much to the long term relationship.
The Big Question: Can BRICS Really Challenge the West
BRICS does carry real economic and demographic heft, representing a huge share of the world’s population and a growing slice of global output. But unity is where things get shaky. Members like Iran and the UAE find themselves on opposite sides of regional conflicts, making a single coordinated geopolitical stance nearly impossible.
In the end, India isn’t likely to pick a side between BRICS and the West. New Delhi’s strategy of staying flexible with everyone gives it room to grow its own influence in a world that’s slowly moving away from any single power centre.
Also Read: BRICS Summit 2026: Putin Arrives in Delhi With His ‘Doomsday Plane’: It’s Unique Features and Protection Shield
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
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