India’s broader foreign policy goals of preserving strategic autonomy and enhancing its impact on global governance are reflected in its membership in BRICS. As a grouping that today includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new entrants such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Ethiopia, BRICS embodies both opportunity and complexity. India’s role is essential in navigating these dynamics: balancing ties with major powers, shaping collective strategies, and projecting the aspirations of the Global South.
By forming strategic partnerships within BRICS, India aims not only to safeguard its national interests but also to advance cultural, economic, and technological objectives. Yet the bloc faces inherent challenges: internal rivalries, ideological divergences, and the risk of appearing overly China-centric or positioned as an anti-Western alliance. These issues require deft diplomacy, particularly as India assumes the chairmanship.
Within this context, artificial intelligence (AI) represents both a transformative opportunity and a governance challenge. The BRICS framework, which unites more than 40% of the world’s population, offers fertile ground for technological cooperation. Joint investments in AI and digital infrastructure could democratize access to innovation, promote social inclusion, and support sustainable development. Conversely, a failure to coordinate risks exacerbating inequality, deepens geopolitical divides, and allows technology to become a tool of rivalry rather than cooperation.
AI Governance in the BRICS Context
AI has rapidly moved to the forefront of global governance debates. While the OECD, EU, and G7 have advanced Responsible AI frameworks emphasising transparency, fairness, and accountability, many developing countries face resource and capacity constraints that limit their participation. BRICS, therefore, provides an alternative platform for the Global South to shape governance norms.
Member nations can leverage AI to address pressing challenges: environmental monitoring systems to combat climate change, AI-powered education platforms to reduce inequality, and agricultural applications to enhance food security. For instance, India’s experience with large-scale digital inclusion programs, such as Aadhaar and Digital India, could serve as a model for other members. Similarly, Brazil’s expertise in agricultural biotech and Russia’s strengths in defence-oriented AI can be repurposed for cooperative civilian use.
However, the application of AI raises ethical dilemmas: data privacy, algorithmic bias, surveillance risks, and the question of human agency in automated decision-making. UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence offers a global benchmark, and BRICS has the chance to adapt these principles into a South-South framework. A BRICS observatory for AI best practices, coupled with open-source collaborations, could anchor such initiatives and prevent technological fragmentation.
India’s Chairmanship and Policy Proposals
At the BRICS Summit in Brazil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India would lead with a vision of “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability.” During its chairmanship, India emphasised a people-centric approach, echoing the priorities of its G20 presidency. In practice, this meant advancing four major recommendations:
1. Reorienting the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) toward demand-driven, long-term, sustainable projects.
2. Creating a Science and Research Repository to foster innovation and capacity-building across the Global South.
3. Securing supply chains for critical minerals, indispensable for the digital and green transitions.
4. Promoting Responsible AI, balancing innovation with governance, and ensuring inclusivity in technological progress.
These proposals underscore India’s attempt to reconcile developmental priorities with geopolitical realities. For example, strengthening supply chains aligns with India’s domestic push for self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat), while Responsible AI reflects India’s ambition to shape emerging norms rather than merely adopt those set by advanced economies.
Common Obstacles to India’s Strategic Objectives
India’s leadership is not without challenges. The BRICS coalition encompasses countries with diverse political systems, strategic agendas, and global alignments. Reconciling the interests of democracies like Brazil and South Africa with authoritarian states such as China, Russia, and Iran requires sophisticated diplomacy.
One persistent difficulty is the India–China rivalry. Border tensions, competition for influence in Asia, and contrasting visions of global governance complicate cooperation. While recent diplomatic signals suggest a potential thaw, mistrust remains high. For India, the task is to balance its strategic independence while ensuring that BRICS does not become a vehicle for Chinese hegemony.
Another obstacle lies in the bloc’s expansion and de-dollarisation debates. India has expressed caution about rapid enlargement, fearing a repeat of the Non-Aligned Movement’s diffusion of focus. Similarly, while mechanisms like BRICS Pay or local currency settlements promise reduced dependence on the dollar, they also risk aligning the bloc too closely with Chinese financial interests. India must weigh the benefits of de-dollarisation against the need to maintain constructive relations with Western markets and institutions.
Furthermore, India must contend with internal contradictions in global governance. As a member of the Quad and an emerging partner of the United States, India often finds itself straddling divergent platforms. Reconciling Indo-Pacific security priorities with BRICS’ calls for South-South solidarity exemplifies this balancing act.
Opportunities for India’s Global Role
Despite these challenges, India’s chairmanship presents major opportunities. By promoting AI for sustainable development—precision farming, digital health, and climate change adaptation—India can position itself as a bridge-builder between developed and developing worlds. Its thriving services sector, digital start-up ecosystem, and robust diaspora networks enhance its credibility as a technology leader.
Moreover, India can use BRICS to strengthen South-South cooperation, amplifying the voices of emerging economies in international forums. A Science and Research Repository, coupled with shared standards on AI ethics, could help level the playing field for countries historically marginalised in global governance.
The NDB, if effectively restructured, can finance green infrastructure, digital connectivity, and social inclusion projects. Such initiatives would not only advance BRICS’ collective goals but also reinforce India’s leadership credentials.
Conclusion
India’s BRICS chairmanship symbolises both promise and paradox. On the one hand, the platform offers India the chance to demonstrate leadership in shaping AI governance, strengthening South-South cooperation, and redefining multipolarity. On the other hand, structural contradictions—particularly the India–China rivalry and divergent member priorities—pose formidable obstacles.
India’s ability to navigate these tensions will determine whether BRICS becomes a credible alternative to Western-dominated institutions or devolves into another fragmented coalition. Much will depend on whether BRICS members accept India’s leadership in defining the group’s trajectory and whether India can translate its “humanity first” rhetoric into tangible outcomes.
Ultimately, India’s involvement in BRICS reflects its larger aspiration to act as a mediator and bridge between the Global South and the West. By fostering inclusive innovation, championing Responsible AI, and balancing geopolitical rivalries with cooperative frameworks, India can help transform BRICS into a platform that delivers not just for its members but for the broader international community.
As Prime Minister Modi emphasised, “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability” must remain the guiding principle. In an increasingly chaotic global order, India’s strategy of multi-alignment and benevolent balancing may well define the future of BRICS—and with it, the contours of global governance in the digital age.
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