Aug. 13—“BRICS may be on the verge of its most significant strategic convergence since its inception,” the Indian weekly, Indian Eye, suggests. “The coming weeks will test whether the current wave of U.S. tariffs becomes a catalyst for deeper BRICS integration or merely another irritant in already complex international relations. [Indian Prime Minister Neranda] Modi’s dual engagement with Russia and China,[Brazilian President and current head of BRICS] Lula’s outreach to India, and Beijing’s criticism of U.S. trade policy suggest a moment of rare alignment in the group’s political calendars.”
The Aug. 11 story is credited to the New Delhi, Moscow, and Beijing Bureaus of the weekly, which is published in India, the U.S.A., Brazil, and Canada, thus reaching the Indian diaspora. The article reviews the diplomatic contacts between the BRICS in recent weeks (which EIR News has covered), but offers more details on developing India-Brazil ties.
“The Lula-Modi conversation gains strategic weight,” it reports. “The two leaders are not only the political heads of their respective nations but also the voices of two continents within BRICS. Their call underscored a shared vision for South-South cooperation that blends trade expansion with technological exchange, defense coordination, and multilateral reform…. The agreement to expand the Mercosur-India trade pact and the plan for [Brazilian] Vice President Geraldo Alckmin to visit India in October, accompanied by ministers and business leaders, point to a practical follow-through. The agenda will cover trade, defense, energy, critical minerals, health, and digital inclusion—all sectors where both countries can gain by pooling resources and reducing dependence on Western market.”
President Donald Trump’s tariffs have created “a political opportunity. The bloc can present itself as a collective shield against what it sees as arbitrary economic measures, and as an advocate for reforming global trade rules to protect the sovereignty of emerging economies,” it argues.
“While it is premature to predict a formal BRICS response to Trump’s tariffs, the diplomatic choreography of the past week hints at a converging strategy. Modi’s talks with Lula, [Modi’s] upcoming visit to China, [Indian National Security Advisor Ajit] Doval’s discussions with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, and the expected Putin visit to India are all part of a dense web of leader-level engagements that could culminate in a more united BRICS economic front.”
Indian Eye’s story adds the tantalizing suggestion that “joint infrastructure projects” are among the possibilities for a coordinated economic response. Coordination “might take the form of expanded intra-BRICS trade agreements, local currency settlements to bypass the dollar, joint infrastructure projects, and coordinated positions in the WTO and G20. Brazil and India’s interest in digital payment systems, as shown in the PIX-UPI exchange, also opens the door for fintech collaboration that reduces transaction costs and dependency on Western financial systems.” 