Senior Indian defense analyst Pravin Sawhney has urged the Modi government to actively support Pakistan’s entry into BRICS at its upcoming summit to avoid strategic isolation. Arguing that the global order is undergoing a monumental shift in his latest vlog, Sawhney observed that opening diplomatic talks with Islamabad is now in India’s critical strategic interest.
According to Sawhney, the traditional pillars of India’s regional strategy are rapidly eroding as the United States and China move toward strategic stability, neutralizing military competition in the Indo-Pacific. This shift has downgraded the QUAD and minimized India’s anticipated regional role.
This reality was highlighted during a recent Pentagon budget presentation by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who explicitly focused on building capabilities with Indo-Pacific allies like Australia and the Philippines through instruments like AUKUS, notably omitting any mention of the QUAD. Consequently, the US increasingly views New Delhi as a commercial market rather than a core strategic partner. This changing landscape threatens to isolate India within its own geography.
China is actively strengthening ties with Islamabad to form a new South Asian regional grouping centered on trade and connectivity, filling the vacuum left by SAARC, Swahney said. Because most South Asian nations are already integrated into China’s Belt and Road Initiative, India risks being left on the geographic and economic periphery.
To counter this looming isolation, Sawhney argued that India must proactively engage with Pakistan. A critical test of this diplomacy will arrive at the upcoming BRICS summit, where China is expected to propose Pakistan for membership. Sawhney notes that eight out of the eleven current BRICS members are already prepared to support Pakistan’s entry: Russia, Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and China itself.
Faced with an overwhelming majority backing the expansion, Sawhney advised New Delhi to use this strategic occasion to back Pakistan’s bid. Doing so would open vital communication channels, normalize ties, and prevent India from being left behind in the emerging global order.
