India’s diplomatic tightrope: Kazan summit marks key moment in global leadership role

The expanded BRICS meets for the first time in Kazan, Russia, a potential inflexion point for a group that has so far failed to have an unifying narrative. India has been the bulwark against the attempt to give it an ideological 'anti-West' slant. India could continue to play that role or, better still, leverage the expanded membership - each new member was on its wish list - to define India's neutral pathway.

Kazan is not just another BRICS summit. It's a critical moment in India's self-fashioning journey on the global stage. From the moment Russia invaded Ukraine, India has argued its choices in terms of multipolarity, historical ties, defence needs, strategic alliances and partnerships, and economic needs.

Kazan offers India an opportunity to emerge not as the ace tightrope walker balancing West and 'anti- and not-so-pro-West' interests, but as a proactive neutral voice committed to a rules-based world order. Kazan should provide the occasion when it can emerge as the 'Switzerland' of our times.


A low middle-income country with a rapidly growing economy and home to a sixth of the world's population makes India's CV impressive enough for it to be the ideal candidate to play the honest broker. Its commitment to peace is not merely ideological but rooted in pragmatism, indeed, hard-boiled geopolitics.

Peace, multipolarity and multilateralism are critical for not just its well-being and development but also for most parts of the world, developing and developed. Take India's purchase of discounted Russian crude, then refining and selling it to the rest of the world, thereby serving as an economic safety valve globally. This is not about a reactive non-alignment but proactive even-handedness in helping clear obstacles to global progress.