Policy UpdateKavin Adithya C.B. Background The XVII BRICS Summit convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6-7, 2025, resulting in the Rio de Janeiro Declaration. The summit’s theme, “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”…
India and Singapore completed 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, evolving into a strong Indo-Pacific partnership. Singapore supported India’s Look East and Act East policies, while the 2005 CECA strengthened economic ties. Singapore is now one of India’s largest FDI sources, with investments exceeding US$170 billion over two decades (High Commission of India in Singapore, 2026). The relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2024.
India and Qatar have been sharing a close and mutually beneficial relationship with each other especially in the field of energy security, trade and people-to-people ties. However, this partnership has evolved significantly from the buyer-seller relationship in LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) to encompass cooperation in investment, infrastructure, technology, defence and regional security. Due to this partnership, Qatar still remains as India’s most important partner in the Gulf region, whereas India has been able to maintain its position as Qatar’s largest trading partner and a trusted source of skilled human resources.
The India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was established in 2022, to deepen cooperation between India and the European Union in the domains of trade, technology and geopolitics. The Council was designed in order to address emerging challenges such as supply chain vulnerabilities, digital transformation, critical technologies and green disruptions. The first TTC meeting was held in Brussels in 2023 and the second meeting was held in New Delhi in February 2025.
Critical Minerals such as Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Graphite and rare earth minerals have become indispensable for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, semiconductors, defence manufacturing and advanced digital industries. Securing access to these minerals has emerged as one of the strategic priorities of many countries, as global supply chains have become vulnerable to geopolitical tensions. India and Australia have consequently deepened their cooperation, recognising that Australia's abundant mineral reserves complement India's expanding manufacturing sector and ambitious energy transition goals.
India and Oman share one of India's oldest and most strategically significant relationships in the Gulf and Indian Ocean region. Their historical connections go back centuries, while formal diplomatic relations were established in 1955. Bilateral relations were elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2008, reflecting the growing importance of defence, maritime security, trade and regional cooperation. Oman occupies a particularly important position in India's West Asia policy because of its location at the entrance to the Gulf and close to major Indian Ocean sea lanes.
On 13 July 2026, India officially launched its campaign for a non-permament seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2028-2029. External Affairs minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar inaugurated the campaign at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, highlighting India’s long standing commitment to multilateralism, international peace and the reform of global governance institutions. The campaign reflects India’s objective of contributing constructively to international peace and security while representing the interests of the developing world.