Indo-Pacific, BRICS, SCO and QUAD — The Institutional Backdrop

These four frameworks continue to structure India's external engagement in 2026:

  • Indo-Pacific: The Quad Foreign Ministers met in New Delhi on May 26, 2026, launching the first-ever Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) and continuing to build the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN) for disaster response. A full Quad Leaders' Summit in India — postponed from 2025 amid US-India trade friction — remains anticipated for later in 2026.
  • BRICS: India holds the 2026 chairship, hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, with Xi Jinping and Putin both expected — a major test of India's ability to balance BRICS's China/Russia-driven de-dollarisation push against its own Western ties.
  • SCO: The chairship has passed to Kyrgyzstan, with the Bishkek summit in preparation following a January 2026 Council of National Coordinators meeting in Beijing; Pakistan is slated to host next, in 2027.
  • QUAD: Beyond the May ministerial, the grouping remains focused on maritime domain awareness, undersea cable security for Pacific Island nations, and supply-chain resilience — read by analysts as India "hedging," not realigning, its long-standing strategic autonomy.