Why QUAD and I2U2 are Better for India’s Security than BRICS and SCO

 

India is a rising power in the world, with a population of over 1.3 billion people, a fast-growing economy, and a diverse and vibrant culture. India also faces many security challenges, such as border disputes with China and Pakistan, terrorism, cyberattacks, maritime piracy, and climate change. To deal with these challenges, India has adopted a multi-alignment strategy, which means engaging with different countries and groups based on its interests and values.

India is a member of several multilateral forums, such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) group, and the India-Israel-UAE-US (I2U2) alliance. However, not all of these forums are equally beneficial for India’s security. In this article, we will argue that QUAD and I2U2 are better for India’s security than BRICS and SCO, for the following reasons:

QUAD and I2U2 share India’s vision of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, where the rule of law, democracy, human rights, and freedom of navigation are respected. BRICS and SCO, on the other hand, are dominated by China and Russia, which have authoritarian regimes, aggressive foreign policies, and disregard for international norms and institutions.

QUAD and I2U2 are more flexible and informal than BRICS and SCO, which allows India to pursue its interests without being constrained by rigid structures or consensus-based decision-making. QUAD and I2U2 are also more adaptable to changing circumstances and emerging threats.

QUAD and I2U2 are more focused on security cooperation than BRICS and SCO, which have a broader agenda that includes economic, political, cultural, and social issues. QUAD and I2U2 have identified specific areas of collaboration, such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, cyber security, space security, health security, food security, water security, energy security, infrastructure development, and climate change.

QUAD and I2U2 have more convergent interests than BRICS and SCO, which have divergent or conflicting interests on many issues. For example, India and China have disputes over their border, trade, investment, technology, regional influence, and global governance. India and Pakistan have disputes over Kashmir, terrorism, nuclear weapons, water resources, and regional stability. India and Russia have differences over their relations with the US, China, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

QUAD and I2U2 have more trust and transparency than BRICS and SCO, which have mistrust and opacity among their members. For example, China has been accused of hiding information about the origin and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia has been accused of interfering in the elections and politics of other countries. Pakistan has been accused of supporting terrorist groups that target India. China and Pakistan have been accused of violating human rights in Xinjiang and Balochistan respectively.

QUAD and I2U2 have more complementarity than BRICS and SCO, which have redundancy or competition among their members. For example, India has similar or superior capabilities to China and Russia in many fields such as space technology, nuclear energy, information technology, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, etc.

QUAD and I2U2 members have different strengths that can be leveraged for mutual benefit. For example, the US has advanced military intelligence, innovation. Israel has expertise in defense, agriculture, cybersecurity. UAE has wealth, connectivity, etc.