Indian Strategic Studies: Do the BRICS Still Matter?

By Marcos Degaut

OCT 21, 2015

The report provides a critical account of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) as an analytical category, examining some of its constitutive dimensions, to see whether the possibilities of an effective intra-group cooperation could lead to a major change in world power distribution, or whether social disparities, diplomatic divergences, and political and economic differences could prevent the BRICS from forming a coherent and effective strategic alliance. It examines some of the group’s common features and their differences, putting into perspective their relative weaknesses and strengths, their strategic culture, and how it has shaped their foreign policies.

Marcos Degaut is a political adviser at the Brazilian House of Representatives and former intelligence officer at the Brazilian Intelligence Agency. He is also co-president of the Kalout-Degaut Institute for Politics and Strategy, a private consulting firm in Brazil.