BRICS: A strategic balancer?

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India is a close strategic partner of the U.S. and Israel. But it also positions itself as a key voice of the Global South and maintains close strategic and economic relationships with Russia and China, respectively. This balancing act was on display on September 12-13 when India hosted the 18th BRICS summit in Delhi. Any summit that brings together the leaders of India, Russia and China assumes strategic significance. This time it was even more consequential because it took place amid an ongoing and widening conflict in West Asia, India’s extended neighbourhood.