Southeast Asian countries are showing greater interest in BRICS as they seek to diversify economic and diplomatic partnerships….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Growing interest among Southeast Asian countries in BRICS reflects a wider effort to diversify economic and diplomatic partnerships and maintain strategic autonomy amid changes in the global order, according to a report by India Narrative.
The report said the 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi on September 12-13 under India’s chairship, highlighted the grouping’s growing relevance for several ASEAN countries.
The summit was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with discussions focused on political and security cooperation, economic and financial issues, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
According to the report, ASEAN countries have traditionally presented the regional grouping as a platform for consultation and cooperation among small and middle powers. Their growing engagement with BRICS reflects an effort to broaden their economic and diplomatic options without aligning themselves with a strict “West vs. the rest” divide.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who attended the New Delhi summit as ASEAN Chair and an Outreach Country, said ASEAN countries would work with BRICS on issues including peace, inclusive growth, sustainable development and a rules-based international order, the report said.
The Philippines’ interest in expanding its diplomatic options comes amid its longstanding sovereignty dispute with China in the South China Sea. The report said engagement with BRICS could provide Manila with another platform for international cooperation while allowing it to maintain its existing relationships.
India and the Philippines also discussed expanding their strategic partnership in areas including defence, trade, space and infrastructure on the sidelines of the summit. The Philippines purchased the shore-based version of India’s BrahMos anti-ship cruise missile in 2022, with deliveries of launch systems beginning in April 2024.
Vietnam has also increased its engagement with BRICS. The Vietnamese ambassador to India said Hanoi sought to contribute to the grouping while using its participation to diversify markets and international partnerships.
Vietnam became a BRICS partner country in 2025, while Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung attended the New Delhi summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The report said Hanoi viewed BRICS as an additional platform for expanding partnerships while continuing its relations with China, the United States, Japan and Europe.
India and Vietnam also agreed to strengthen defence and maritime cooperation during the summit.
Malaysia, another BRICS partner country, is seeking to expand economic and diplomatic engagement with major emerging markets amid global economic uncertainty and regional conflicts, according to the report.
India is Malaysia’s largest trading partner in Asia. The report said Indian companies had 293 approved manufacturing projects in Malaysia worth $2.95 billion as of June 2026, with the projects expected to create 28,455 jobs.
Indonesia, the only ASEAN member of BRICS, views the grouping as a platform to strengthen the voice of developing countries and promote more resilient global trade and supply chains.
The report said increasing ASEAN engagement with BRICS could create opportunities for India to deepen economic and strategic ties with Southeast Asian economies.
It also argued that India’s participation could contribute to BRICS remaining a broader Global South platform rather than becoming dominated by any single power.
“BRICS offers both India and Southeast Asia a platform to exercise their economic as well as strategic interests without conforming to a ‘West v/s rest’ binary, which thus attracts the ASEAN countries towards this non-Western association,” the report stated.
