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BRICS, Quad, G20 & G7

📊 High-Yield Data & Statistical Fact Sheet
  • Panchsheel Principles (1954): Five principles of peaceful coexistence forming the bedrock of India's early foreign policy and NAM.
  • UNSC Reform claims: India demands permanent membership in UN Security Council under G4 partnership (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan).
  • Neighborhood First Policy: prioritizes economic integration, connectivity, and development assistance to SAARC/BIMSTEC neighbors.
  • BIMSTEC regional weight: Represents 22% of global population and combined GDP of $4.5 Trillion across 7 member states.
  • Act East Policy momentum: Focuses on deep economic, security, and cultural connectivity with ASEAN and East Asian nations.
  • Quad Indo-Pacific Coalition: Strategic partnership (India, US, Japan, Australia) promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific maritime space.
  • IMEC Connectivity corridor: Transnational ship-to-rail transit network connecting India, Middle East, and Europe.
  • Line of Credit (LoC) assistance: India extended developmental assistance lines of credit worth $30+ Billion to partner nations.
  • UN Peacekeeping deployments: India remains a top troop contributor, deploying 2.7 Lakh+ personnel in 50+ missions.
  • Nuclear Retaliation Doctrine (2003): Built on No First Use (NFU) and Credible Minimum Deterrence under political control.
  • SCO Membership status: India joined Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a full member in 2017 at Astana Summit.
  • G20 Presidency leadership (2023): Orchestrated New Delhi Declaration, integrating the African Union as a permanent member.
  • International Solar Alliance (ISA): Co-founded by India and France in 2015 (HQ in Gurugram), boasting 120+ signatory countries.
  • CDRI Disaster Resilience Coalition: India-led global coalition of 39 countries upgrading infrastructure resilience.
  • Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): Launched in 2019 at East Asia Summit to coordinate maritime security and trade.
  • India-ASEAN FTA trade volume: Bilateral trade agreement signed in 2009 driving trade volumes past $130 Billion annually.
  • Gujral Doctrine Principles: Five principles of non-reciprocal cooperative concessions to smaller South Asian neighbors.
  • Look West Policy pivot: Strategically deepens energy, investment, and defense ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
  • Chabahar Port Access: Bilateral agreement with Iran to develop Shahid Beheshti port to access Central Asian trade corridors.
  • INSTC Trade Corridor: 7,200 km multi-mode network linking India, Iran, Central Asia, and Russia to bypass traditional routes.

QUICK-GLANCE SUMMARY TABLE


QUICK-GLANCE SUMMARY TABLE

QUICK-GLANCE SUMMARY TABLE
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  • BRICS-10: BRICS + Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE (Jan 2024) + Indonesia (Jan 2025). 31.5% of world GDP PPP vs G7's 30.7%. 41.2% of population. India is Chair for BRICS 2026 / 18th Summit.
  • Quad: India, US, Japan, Australia. Upgraded to Leaders' Summit (2021). malabar naval exercises since 2020. India hosts 2025 Summit (New Delhi).
  • G20: 19 states + EU + African Union (inducted 2023). 85% of global GDP, 75% of global trade, 79% of population. troika: Indonesia-India-Brazil.
  • G7: US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada + EU. 40% of global GDP, 10% of population. India is regular invitee since 2019.
  • Global GDP (PPP) Share 2025 (%)

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    Global Population Share 2025 (%)

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  • Source: IMF World Economic Outlook / World Bank (2025).
  • Key Insight: The BRICS-10 bloc now accounts for a larger share of global GDP (PPP) at 31.5% than the G7 at 30.7%. In terms of population, the disparity is even starker, with BRICS controlling 41.2% of global population compared to G7's 9.8%, cementing its role as the dominant voice of the Global South.

1. BRICS: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS & EXPANSION


BRICS: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS & EXPANSION

BRICS: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS & EXPANSION
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  • Evolution: BRIC (Goldman Sachs' Jim O'Neill, 2001) ➔ BRICS (South Africa added 2010) ➔ BRICS-10 (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE joined Jan 2024; Indonesia joined 6 January 2025).
  • Partners (8): Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria, Uganda, Belarus, Bolivia, Vietnam.
  • NDB (New Development Bank): Est. 2015. Capital: USD 100 Billion. HQ: Shanghai. 18 India projects funded (USD 6.9 Billion). 2025 innovation: Multilateral Guarantee Initiative (de-risking investments).
  • Key Summits:
  • 16th Summit (Kazan, 2024): Partner Country category created. Passed the Kazan Declaration targeting Gaza peace, local currency trade, and opposing unilateral sanctions.
  • 17th Summit (Rio, 2025): Indonesia's first Summit. Condemned the Pahalgam terror attack (diplomatic win for India). Adopted the Rio Declaration.
  • 18th Summit (2026): India to chair BRICS 2026 and host the summit.
  • Key Strains:
  • China's Encroachment: China uses expansion to induct close dependents (e.g., Ethiopia, Iran), diluting India's relative voice.
  • De-dollarisation dispute: India strongly resists a unified BRICS currency (impractical); focuses on local currency trade ("de-risking", not "de-dollarising").
  • US Tariffs: Trump threatened 100% tariffs on BRICS states (Nov 2024) if they actively build alternative settlement systems bypassing SWIFT.

2. THE QUAD: MARITIME SECURITY MATRIX


THE QUAD: MARITIME SECURITY MATRIX

THE QUAD: MARITIME SECURITY MATRIX
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  • Core Stance: Informal maritime and security coalition. Est. 2007 (Abe); revived 2017. 4 members: India, US, Japan, Australia.
  • Malabar Exercises: Annual joint naval drills; all four partners have participated together since 2020.
  • Wilmington Summit (2024) Outcomes:
  • Quad Cancer Moonshot: Focuses on cervical cancer elimination in the Indo-Pacific.
  • MAITRI: Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific, sharing surveillance data.
  • Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission launched (2025).
  • USD 140 Million investment in subsea Pacific communication cables.
  • 🆕 Critical 2025 Quad Moves (Post-Pahalgam):
  • Quad FM Washington Meet (21 Jan 2025): First meet under Trump 2.0; hosted by Secretary Marco Rubio on Day 1 of his tenure.
  • Quad Joint Statement (1 July 2025): Explicitly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, demanding absolute accountability for state sponsors.
  • 6th Leaders' Summit (2025): India is hosting in New Delhi.
  • Challenges: India resists any formal "Asian NATO" alliance optics to preserve Eurasian SCO dialogue and strategic independence.

3. G20: EMPOWERING THE GLOBAL SOUTH


G20: EMPOWERING THE GLOBAL SOUTH

G20: EMPOWERING THE GLOBAL SOUTH
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  • Troika: Indonesia (2022) ➔ India (2023) ➔ Brazil (2024) ➔ South Africa (2025) — the most sustained Global South agenda-setting block in G20 history.
  • 🟢 India's G20 Presidency (2023):
  • African Union inducted as the 21st permanent member.
  • New Delhi Declaration: Achieved 100% consensus despite deep Russia-Ukraine war divisions.
  • Launched the Global Biofuels Alliance and institutionalized LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
  • Endorsed India's DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) / UPI template.
  • G20 Rio Summit (Brazil, 2024): Supported Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty; proposed a 2% wealth tax on ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
  • G20 Johannesburg (South Africa, 2025): "Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability". Pushed equitable climate finance, critical mineral governance, and MDB structural reforms.

4. G7: REENGAGING THE WEST


G7: REENGAGING THE WEST

G7: REENGAGING THE WEST
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  • India Stance: Regular strategic invitee since 2019 (Biarritz, Puglia 2024, Kananaskis 2025). India's GDP now surpasses UK, France, Italy, and Canada, making its presence indispensable for any global trade or security strategy.
  • IMEC Corridor (announced G20 2023): India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (India, UAE, Saudi, Jordan, Israel, EU). Direct ship-to-rail transit corridor bypassing China's BRI. Implementation slowed by the Middle East crisis.

QUICK REVISION BOX


  • BRICS-10: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE (2024), and Indonesia (2025) are the newest members.
  • 18th BRICS Summit: India is hosting and chairing in 2026.
  • Pahalgam Condemnation: Both G20 Rio Declaration and Quad FM Washington Statement (July 2025) explicitly condemned the J&K Pahalgam attack.
  • MAITRI: Launched at Wilmington 2024; a training and data-sharing maritime security network.
  • IMEC Members: India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and the European Union.
  • G20 African Union: Inducted as a permanent member at the New Delhi G20 Summit in 2023.

Notes updated up to March 2026. Sources: MEA, IMF, WTO.

  • 17th BRICS Summit 2025 was held in Rio de Janeiro; BRICS called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), which India first proposed at the UNGA in 1996.
  • Indonesia was welcomed as a new BRICS member at the 17th Summit, the first to include Egypt, Ethiopia, UAE, Iran and Indonesia together (Saudi Arabia yet to join); India takes over the 2026 presidency from Brazil, redefining BRICS as Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability, themed Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.
  • BRICS now represents half the global population, 40% of global GDP and 25% of global trade; at the 7th BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum in Rio, 250+ representatives from 36 countries pushed for open-source AI development and Global South involvement in AI governance.
  • BRICS financial independence began at the 2014 Fortaleza Summit with the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA); by 2017 members agreed to boost currency cooperation via swaps, local-currency settlement and direct investment in national currencies.
  • BRICS Pay (a cross-border payments initiative) and a BRICS banknote concept were unveiled at the 2024 Kazan Summit, aiming to cut reliance on the SWIFT network controlled by G-10 central banks, drawing on Russias SPFS, Chinas CIPS, Indias UPI and Brazils Pix as technological building blocks.
  • Indias UPI is currently accepted in about nine countries (Bhutan first, then Singapore, Qatar, Mauritius, Nepal, UAE, Sri Lanka, France as first in Europe, and Bahrain) but is not yet integrated with BRICS Pay; Chinas CIPS operates in 120+ countries and gained prominence after the RMB joined the IMFs SDR basket; Brazils Pix, launched 2020, is used across Latin America.
  • New Development Bank (NDB), established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, mobilises resources for infrastructure/sustainable development in emerging markets; membership expanded to include Bangladesh, UAE, Egypt, Algeria, Colombia and Uzbekistan (with Uruguay pending accession), and founding members must retain at least 55% voting power.
  • Leaders Framework Declaration on Climate Finance emerged from a new BRICS contact group under Russias chairmanship, arguing that CBAMs and similar measures violate 1994 UNFCCC provisions, including Article 3(5) which bars using climate measures as arbitrary discrimination or disguised trade restrictions.

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