India has emerged as a quintessential bridge-builder and balancer in contemporary global affairs, with the capability to reshape the weakening international order toward fairer global governance, according to an opinion piece published in the South Africa-based newspaper Sunday Independent. The assessment comes as India holds the BRICS chairmanship in 2026, reinforcing its growing centrality in multilateral diplomacy.

Strategic Autonomy at the Core

Phapano Phasha, Chairperson of The Centre for Alternative Political and Economic Thought, argues that India has preserved strategic flexibility by engaging multiple global platforms without locking itself into formal alliances. 'India has emerged as a quintessential bridge-builder and balancer in contemporary global affairs. It maintains strategic autonomy, a policy rooted in its Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) heritage, by engaging multiple platforms without formal alliances,' Phasha wrote.

This approach, he contends, allows India to simultaneously advance its national interests, champion the Global South, and remain a reliable partner for Western nations including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Nordic countries.

India's Role in the Quad

India is a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), alongside the United States, Japan, and Australia. Phasha notes that India has deliberately resisted converting the Quad into a formal military alliance, thereby preserving its diplomatic flexibility. Through the Quad, India functions as a stabiliser in an increasingly multipolar world — balancing relationships with the US, Russia, China, and European powers while amplifying the voice of the Global South.

Bridge Between North and South

India's unique economic scale and global presence allow it to function as a bridge between the developed North and the developing South. By deepening ties with developing nations and supporting South-South cooperation, India has assumed a leadership role among emerging economies. Phasha argues that the current weakening of global institutions has created a rare opening for India to steer multilateral conversations toward equitable governance and the rule of law — a tradition rooted in its Non-Aligned Movement legacy.

'This bridging role is particularly significant for South Africa and the broader African continent, as it aligns with shared aspirations for a more equitable, multipolar order strengthened by platforms such as BRICS, where India assumed the chairmanship in 2026,' Phasha wrote.

India's BRICS Chairmanship 2026

India holds the BRICS chair in 2026 under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' — a framework described as reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach. The theme was articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 2025. The chairmanship positions India to translate its bridging role into concrete multilateral outcomes at a moment when global institutional frameworks are under strain.

As geopolitical fault lines deepen between major powers, India's ability to maintain dialogue across competing blocs will be closely watched through the remainder of its BRICS tenure.