Modi’s Diplomatic Tightrope Between BRICS and Quad at ASEAN Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a critical test of India's foreign policy neutrality as he prepares to engage with both BRICS and Quad leaders at the upcoming ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. The gathering, occurring against a backdrop of shifting global power dynamics, will see Modi interact with U.S. President Donald TRUMP and Chinese Premier Li Qiang within hours of each other—a symbolic manifestation of India's delicate balancing act.

Speculation mounts about New Delhi's strategic alignment as it remains the only nation actively participating in both the China-led BRICS and the U.S.-anchored Quad alliances. The summit's attendee list reads like a geopolitical chessboard: Russia's Vladimir Putin, Japan's Fumio Kishida, and Australia's Anthony Albanese will share space with BRICS observers like Brazil's Lula da Silva and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa.

Malaysian officials confirm Modi's attendance though India's External Affairs Ministry maintains deliberate ambiguity. This diplomatic dance reflects India's growing stature as a swing state in the emerging multipolar order, where cryptocurrency markets increasingly track geopolitical fissures between dollar and non-dollar aligned blocs.