India has emerged as a confident, constructive and influential voice in global affairs at a time when the world grapples with geopolitical tensions, technological disruptions and economic uncertainty, according to an opinion piece published in Greater Kashmir. The country's ascent is increasingly being described as one of the defining realities of the shifting international order.

India's Vision at the Global Stage

Writing in Greater Kashmir, analyst Anil Dhar argued that the transformation is rooted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of an Atmanirbhar, Viksit and globally connected India — a nation that safeguards its strategic interests while contributing to global peace, prosperity and cooperation. Dhar identified the BRICS platform as a key avenue through which India is advancing this vision.

For India, BRICS serves as a critical mechanism to strengthen partnerships, deepen economic cooperation, and amplify the aspirations of the Global South within international decision-making forums. Notably, this engagement comes as the global order undergoes what analysts describe as a profound structural transformation.

Strategic Autonomy as a Cornerstone

India's foreign policy under Modi's leadership has placed a strong emphasis on dialogue, strategic autonomy, national interest and mutually beneficial partnerships, the piece noted. This approach has enabled New Delhi to maintain ties with all major global powers — including the US, Russia and China — without compromising its independent decision-making.

India has consistently argued that global governance structures must reflect contemporary realities rather than the architecture of a different era. The country seeks a world order where developing nations are not merely participants in global discussions but active contributors to shaping their outcomes.

'This diplomatic confidence, combined with India's growing economic and strategic weight, has given the country greater capacity to influence international conversations,' Dhar wrote, adding that India 'increasingly seeks to shape that order — by advocating greater representation for developing nations, promoting practical cooperation and offering solutions based on its own development experience.'

Modi at the 18th BRICS Summit

The analysis draws directly from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the 18th BRICS Summit held in New Delhi on 12 September 2026, where the opening session was themed 'Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism'. Modi used the platform to call on the Global South to move from being a 'rule taker' to a 'rule-shaper'.

Modi stated that the current structure of global governance 'resembles a pyramid: power and decision-making are concentrated at the top, while the lower tiers consist of nations that are affected by these decisions yet unable to shape them.' He called for transforming this 'pyramid of privilege' into a 'platform of partnership.'

10 Proposals for Global Governance Reform

A centrepiece of Modi's address was his proposal that BRICS nations jointly formulate 10 proposals for global governance reform, with the aim of shaping them into a BRICS reform roadmap by the time of the next summit. He underscored that the Global South 'stands in the front row of global crises but in the back row of decision-making.'

This is consistent with India's longstanding push — amplified since its G20 presidency in 2023 — for structural reform of multilateral institutions including the UN Security Council, the IMF and the World Bank. The BRICS summit outcome, if translated into a concrete reform roadmap, could mark a significant escalation in that campaign.

How the 10-proposal framework takes shape — and whether it attracts consensus among BRICS members with divergent interests — will be closely watched in the months ahead.