The delicate balance of India’s foreign policy, caught between the Quad and BRICS alliances, will take center stage at the upcoming ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. Scheduled from October 26-28, the event will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the East Asia Summit (EAS), where he is expected to engage with prominent global figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The EAS guest list includes heads of state or high-level representatives from China, Russia, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, alongside India. Notably, Brazilian President Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will be present as observers at the ASEAN-related gatherings. This presents a unique opportunity for Prime Minister Modi to connect with leaders from both the Quad and the founding members of BRICS, especially as India prepares to host summits for both blocs in the coming year. Although India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has yet to officially confirm Modi’s attendance, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Mohamad Hasan, recently stated that the Indian Prime Minister is expected to be there for the ASEAN-related summits, including the EAS. Indian government sources also hinted at his likely participation.
Originally slated to host the Quad Summit this year, India’s plans have reportedly shifted to 2026 amidst recent strains in India-U.S. relations. Coincidentally, India will also assume the BRICS chairmanship and host the summit for the expanded 11-nation economic bloc in 2026. India stands as the sole nation bridging these two often-conflicting groups – one comprising the U.S. and its allies, and the other featuring Russia and China. Adding to this geopolitical complexity are former President Trump’s aggressive trade policies, including tariffs and threats against India over Russian oil purchases, sanctions on new BRICS member Iran, and his warnings of 100% tariffs on BRICS nations he accuses of supporting a common currency to challenge the U.S. dollar. These factors collectively heighten diplomatic tensions.
Speaking at a recent conference in Delhi, Sudhakar Dalela, MEA Secretary for Multilateral and Economic Relations, highlighted the challenges defining today’s global economy. He pointed to a ‘downward trend in global economic growth, uncertainty in investment flows and interest rates, unilateral measures, and supply chain disruptions’ as key defining factors.
Dalela further emphasized that India’s upcoming BRICS chairmanship arrives at a critical juncture, with the world grappling with numerous global challenges that disproportionately impact countries in the Global South. He elaborated on India’s preparations to host the summit, marking the 20th anniversary of the BRICS grouping.
Concurrently, diplomatic sources reveal that Indian and American officials are engaged in discussions to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and former President Trump during the ASEAN summit, while also exploring dates for the Quad summit. However, a firm date for the Quad meeting remains elusive. Should the U.S.-India-Australia-Japan summit fail to materialize this year, it would mark the second consecutive year that India’s plans have been impacted by bilateral tensions. Prime Minister Modi’s invitation for a Quad summit in January 2024, coinciding with Republic Day, was reportedly declined by then-U.S. President Joe Biden due to strains arising from the Pannun case, which implicated Indian government officials in an alleged assassination plot in the U.S. Biden later hosted the Quad Summit in September 2024. Despite initial optimism from the Indian government about securing a summit date with the new U.S. administration in 2025, Trump’s unpredictable stances on tariffs, the India-U.S. trade agreement, and his unconventional request for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for his involvement in the India-Pakistan conflict, have stalled discussions.
During a private session on the Quad this week in Delhi, hosted by Jindal Global University and attended by current and former government officials and experts, a significant concern was raised: the U.S. President’s ‘America First’ doctrine now presents a ‘test to Quad resilience.’ Participants argued that tariffs and trade disputes undermine the Quad’s objectives, particularly regarding supply chain resilience in vital sectors like pharmaceuticals and minerals, which aim to reduce regional dependencies on specific countries. Furthermore, the discussion, held under Chatham House Rules, highlighted additional challenges posed by the U.S. administration’s decisions to withdraw from climate change agreements, reduce funding for vaccine research, and scale back specific Quad initiatives, such as the Cancer Moonshot program launched just last year.
Therefore, while Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming trip to Kuala Lumpur is primarily focused on ASEAN-related engagements with Southeast Asian leaders, including a review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), his agenda is also expected to be heavily packed with crucial discussions concerning the future direction of the Quad and BRICS – two influential blocs that India is slated to host in the coming months.