India's strategic influence in BRICS: Balancing power with diplomacy

India's strategic role within the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) grouping highlights its growing influence in global geopolitics. This paper explores how India leverages BRICS as a platform to balance power, especially vis-à-vis China, while promoting multilateralism and economic cooperation. As the only democratic nation within BRICS with a robust engagement in both the Global South and Western alliances, India strategically navigates its diplomatic relations to push for reforms in global governance structures such as the United Nations and financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank. Through a combination of economic outreach, leadership in technology and digital finance, and a firm stance on sovereignty, India is positioning itself as a bridge between competing global powers, while advocating for equitable global development. The paper argues that India's balancing act within BRICS underscores its aspirations to be a leading global player while protecting its national interests and regional stability.