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Relevance: GS-II (International Relations: Global Groupings, Foreign Policy) Source: Diplomatic & Strategic Updates, September 2026

1 · News and Context

New Delhi is hosting a major BRICS summit, but a hidden geopolitical game is playing out in the background. While BRICS claims to unite developing nations against Western dominance, its two biggest players—Russia and China—are secretly seeking their own power deals with the United States.

If the US, China, and Russia form an exclusive “G3” (Group of 3) superpower club, they could dictate global rules and divide the world among themselves, completely ignoring middle powers like India. This highlights why India cannot blindly rely on groups like BRICS. To survive in this ruthless environment, India must boost its own economic strength and build deep partnerships with other independent nations.

2 · How the Global Power Game is Changing

Step 1: The Divided BRICS
BRICS recently expanded (adding Iran, UAE, etc.), but this brought Middle Eastern rivalries into the group, making it highly fragmented and unable to agree on big security issues.
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Step 2: The Secret Bargains
Russia is tired from the Ukraine war, and China wants to ease trade tensions. Both are using BRICS merely as a bargaining chip while actively negotiating directly with Washington.
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Step 3: The G3 Danger
There is a real fear that these three superpowers (US, China, Russia) will form a “G3 Directorate” to carve up the world, bypassing the United Nations entirely.
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Step 4: India’s Smart Response
To avoid being sidelined, India is focusing heavily on fast domestic economic growth while creating new coalitions with middle powers like Japan, Brazil, and Europe.

3 · Key Geopolitical Terms

BRICS+ (Expanded BRICS)
The Crowded Room
The original five members added countries like Iran and the UAE. While bigger, the group now suffers from severe internal political rivalries, making decisions harder.
The G3 Directorate
The Exclusive Club
A potential tripolar world run strictly by the US, China, and Russia. This is dangerous for India because it leaves us out of high-level global decision-making.
Strategic Autonomy
India’s Playbook
India’s rule of never joining a rigid military alliance. We protect our interests by being in the Quad (with the US) AND in BRICS (with Russia and China) at the same time.
Middle Powers
The Counter-Balance
Strong, independent countries like India, Japan, France, and Brazil. If the superpower giants try to rule the world, middle powers must team up to push back.

Prelims Quick Facts: Treaties & Summits
Yalta 2.0 In 1945 at Yalta, superpowers carved the world into “spheres of influence.” The proposed G3 setup is being called Yalta 2.0 because it bypasses the UN similarly.
Johannesburg II The historic recent summit where BRICS officially expanded beyond its founding five nations to include the Middle East and Africa.
Pragmatic Realism India’s realization that “multipolarity” should not just mean blind anti-Western hatred. India talks to everyone purely based on what helps our own economy grow.

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to global geopolitical groupings and India’s foreign policy, consider the following statements:

  1. The expanded BRICS (BRICS+) now officially includes West Asian countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran.
  2. The concept of a “G3 Directorate” refers to an exclusive, cooperative decision-making alliance between India, Brazil, and South Africa.
  3. India’s doctrine of Strategic Autonomy prevents it from simultaneously participating in both the Quad and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only    (b) 1 and 2 only    (c) 2 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 only

  • Statement 1 — Correct: The recent BRICS expansion successfully inducted multiple nations, including Iran and the UAE, altering the group’s regional footprint.
  • Statement 2 — Incorrect (the trap): The “G3 Directorate” refers to a potential great-power compact between the US, China, and Russia, not the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) nations.
  • Statement 3 — Incorrect: Strategic Autonomy actually allows India to engage with competing blocs simultaneously. India is an active member of both the US-backed Quad and the China/Russia-backed SCO.
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