BRICSEEIIU, finding purpose in heft

BRICS is now BRICSEEIIU, and it's sturdier for it. Indonesia's full membership into BRICS+ last Monday is an opportunity for strengthening multilateralism. With the world's most populated country, and No. 2 and No. 4 nations, in the club, quantity does translate into geopolitical quality. It strengthens the hand of member countries like India that have served as a bulwark against BRICS morphing into an 'anti-West' forum. This means seeking and pursuing a 'free and active' foreign policy intent on balancing alliances and partnerships with new opportunities.

Unlike China and Russia, both major players and UNSC permanent members, or new members with major leverage such as leading oil and gas producers Iran and the UAE, India, Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia have no axe to grind with G7 countries. Their interest lies in developing access to funding, technology and trade opportunities. Spanning across the globe, this quartet within the current decet can work collaboratively to balance players with clearer geopolitical and geoeconomic interests and agenda. They can also ensure that BRICS serves as the forum for countries that are big enough to matter, but lack the leverage to make their voice count. Given its diversity spanning the economic spectrum, India can anchor the quartet not as counterpoint within BRICS but as the compass - GPS, if you will - keeping the group true to its purpose.

The emerging quartet should leverage this partnership beyond BRICS to multilateral and plurilateral fora. This should allow the growing intergovernmental organisation to emerge as an ambitious yet pragmatic voice that serves to articulate the needs of developing countries as they balance growth and development with other global challenges.