India must act as mature player, not appear anti-West: Amitabh Kant on BRICS
As India hosts the BRICS Summit, former G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant underlined that India would need to work simultaneously with the US and China to realise its 'Viksit Bharat' dream.
India must act as a "mature, seasoned player" during its BRICS presidency and ensure the grouping's outcome document is not seen as taking an anti-Western stance, former G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said. In an interview with India Today at the BRICS Roundtable 2026, Kant emphasised that India would need to work simultaneously with the US, Europe and China to protect its national interests and realise its 'Viksit Bharat' dream by 2047.
Kant underlined that India was hosting the BRICS Summit amid a difficult phase. The former NITI Aayog CEO cited the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, disruptions to global supply chains, rising protectionism and "muscular" industrial policies by major powers.
"India must act like a mature, seasoned player to steady the course of the BRICS amid choppy waters," Kant said.
HOW INDIA SHOULD STEER BRICS?
Dismissing criticism that BRICS had become irrelevant, Kant stressed that the bloc remained important both geopolitically and geo-economically. The expanded 11-member BRICS accounts for approximately 40% of global GDP and roughly a quarter of global trade.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa are among the leaders expected to attend the summit.
Kant said India's balancing act would be key and the agenda of the summit should not be allowed to drift into an anti-Western posture.
"Multilateralism is about arriving at a consensus. Consensus building must be the hallmark of India's presidency. It is necessary for India to work simultaneously with the US, Europe, and China," Kant said.
CHALLENGES FOR INDIA
India's BRICS presidency coincides with a period of complex and challenging geopolitical developments. Apart from US President Donald Trump's sceptical view of BRICS, the Middle East conflict has added another layer of complexity. Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia - countries that have faced Tehran's drones and missiles - will be in the same hall on September 12 and 13.
Despite these tensions, Kant said India's approach should remain "multi-aligned" and focused on securing its economic and strategic interests rather than choosing sides.
"As host, India's focus should be on trade, investment, developmental issues and climate. India should not go into too much into geopolitics. Focusing on the above issues will benefit the Global South as they have been impacted the most due to the Middle East conflict," Kant suggested.