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EYE ON INDIA SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 | The Indian Eye 6

NEWS ANALYSIS

India-Russia-China troika: How and why

they are choosing pragmatism over hegemony

The primary driver uniting New Delhi, Beijing, and Moscow is a shared vulnerability to unilateral economic

sanctions, secondary trade penalties, and rising tariffs. The summit saw the three nations lead a push

within the expanded BRICS framework to insulate emerging markets from external financial shocks.

OUR BUREAU Organization, and global finan-
cial institutions to better reflect
New Delhi
contemporary economic realities.
he recent convergence of In- China and Russia explicitly re-
dia, China, and Russia at the iterated their backing for India’s
T18th BRICS Summit in New legitimate aspirations for a perma-
Delhi marks a decisive realignment nent seat on an expanded UN Se-
in Eurasian statecraft, replacing his- curity Council, signaling a tactical
torical friction with a shared push for concession to preserve trilateral co-
economic autonomy and institution- hesion. Concurrently, all three capi-
al reform. tals strongly opposed discriminatory
Against a backdrop of intensi- trade practices, including arbitrary
fying global fragmentation, rising carbon tariffs and non-tariff barri-
trade protectionism, and punitive ers that disproportionately impact
tariff regimes, the traditional Rus- developing economies. By position-
sia-India-China (RIC) dynamic has ing themselves as the economic core
shifted from a theoretical strategic of the Global South, India, China,
counterbalance into a functional and Russia are leveraging BRICS
economic engine. While ideological to challenge western-centric gover-
narratives often frame the triumvi- nance while expanding the opera-
rate through the lens of West-versus- tional footprint of emerging market
East bloc politics, the realities on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian institutions like the New Develop-
ground in New Delhi demonstrated ment Bank.
a far more pragmatic alignment. President Vladimir Putin on Day 2 of the 18th BRICS Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, in Strategic Autonomy
Driven by national interest, market New Delhi on Sunday. (@narendramodi X/ANI Photo)
preservation, and economic self-de- espite this growing align-
fense, the three powers aligned their der banking linkages, and insurance mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest. ment, the policy convergence
policies around global trade mecha- pools for shipping, the trilateral core Recognizing that prolonged Dbetween India, China, and
nisms, regional border stability, and established practical mechanisms to border friction undermines their Russia remains fundamentally trans-
financial architecture reform with- safeguard energy flows and manu- collective leverage in global gov- actional rather than ideological.
out forming a rigid, anti-Western facturing supply chains. For Mos- ernance, both capitals committed India maintains a strict doctrine of
military alliance. cow, this alignment preserves vital to sustained de-escalation. Russia, strategic autonomy and multi-align-
Economic Defense economic lifelines; for Beijing and maintaining deep strategic ties with ment, preserving strong security and
New Delhi, it guarantees supply se- both Asian powers, has quietly en- economic partnerships with Western
he primary driver uniting New curity while shielding domestic in- couraged this operational normalcy. nations while engaging constructive-
Delhi, Beijing, and Moscow dustrial growth from volatile curren- By prioritizing economic integration ly in Eurasian formats. China contin-
Tis a shared vulnerability to cy markets. and regional stability over territori- ues its long-term strategy of global
unilateral economic sanctions, sec- Managing Bilateral Friction al brinkmanship, the three nations economic outreach, and Russia seeks
ondary trade penalties, and rising created the political room necessary to cement its Eurasian integration.
panded BRICS framework to insu- A to project a unified stance on institu- mit proved that absolute ideological
critical prerequisite for this
tariffs. The summit saw the three
The New Delhi BRICS Sum-
policy convergence has been
nations lead a push within the ex-
tional reform.
the stabilization of the In-
late emerging markets from external dia-China border. Years of tactical Institutional Reforms alignment is no longer a prerequisite
for powerful multilateral coordina-
financial shocks. standoffs along the Line of Actual he third axis of policy align- tion. By focusing on shared vulner-
Rather than pursuing a single, Control previously paralyzed tri- ment centers on restruc- abilities—trade barriers, financial
volatile common currency, India, lateral dialogue. However, recent Tturing international institu- system reliance, and institutional
China, and Russia coordinated pol- high-level engagements between tions. The New Delhi Declaration marginalization—India, China, and
icies to accelerate local-currency Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighted a collective demand to Russia have constructed a flexible
trade settlements. By utilizing na- President Xi Jinping established a overhaul the United Nations Se- operational axis that is reshaping the
tional payment systems, cross-bor- pragmatic baseline: mutual respect, curity Council, the World Trade contours of global multipolarity.

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