Why India Distanced Itself From ‘BRICS Naval Exercise’: Not Institutionalised Activity, MEA On S. Africa-Led Drill
Two of the founding members of the BRICS alliance, India and Brazil, are not participating in the naval drills. Image courtesy: AI-generated picture via Sora
Members of the BRICS bloc are currently engaged in joint naval drills near South Africa’s coast. With China, Russia and Iran being the participating members in the water wargames, South Africa has described the manoeuvres as a vital response to rising maritime tensions globally. However, what caught attention is India’s absence from the naval drills.
The weeklong Will for Peace 2026 exercises, kicked off on Saturday (January 17, 2026), are being led by China in Simon’s Town. BRICS’ joint naval exercise of 2026 would include drills on rescue and maritime strike operations and technical exchanges. If these drills are so important, especially coming at a time of heightened global instability, what’s behind India’s decision to stay away?
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India is not part of the ongoing BRICS-linked naval exercises off the coast of South Africa, stressing that the drills are neither a formal BRICS activity nor endorsed collectively by all member states. The statement comes amid heightened international attention on the maritime manoeuvres involving China, Russia and Iran.
Why India is not participating on BRICS naval exercise?
Responding to queries on India’s absence from the so-called ‘BRICS Naval Exercise’, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the drills were entirely a South African initiative, with participation limited to select BRICS members. “It was not a regular or institutionalised BRICS activity, nor did all BRICS members take part in it.”
With this, he underscored that India has not participated in such exercises in the past either. The MEA, in its official statement, reiterated that India’s maritime cooperation within this grouping follows a clearly defined and longstanding framework, not ad-hoc initiatives branded under the BRICS label.
IBSAMAR remains India’s chosen maritime platform
The MEA pointed out that the only regular naval exercise involving BRICS members that India participates in is IBSAMAR, a trilateral maritime drill involving India, Brazil and South Africa. “The last edition of IBSAMAR was held in October 2024,” the ministry said.
Notably, Brazil has also opted out of the current South Africa-led drills, reinforcing the point that participation is not uniform across the BRICS bloc.
What are the ‘Will for Peace 2026’ drills?
According to reports by Al Jazeera, the ongoing naval exercises – dubbed ‘Will for Peace 2026’ – began this weekend near Simon’s Town, a strategic maritime junction where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. The week-long drills are being led by China and include maritime strike operations, search-and-rescue drills, technical and operational exchanges.
Moreover, pparticipating countries have deployed a range of naval assets. For example, China and Iran have sent destroyers, Russia and the UAE have deployed corvettes, while South Africa is learnt to have contributed a mid-sized frigate for the joint naval exercises.
China’s Ministry of National Defence said the drills aim to address rising global maritime security challenges.
Will for Peace 2026: Who are the observer countries?
While India and Brazil stayed away, countries such as Egypt, Indonesia and Ethiopia are attending as observers, Chinese officials said during the opening ceremony south of Cape Town. The exercises are also unfolding against the backdrop of strained South Africa–US relations.
Washington is increasingly viewing BRICS as both an economic and strategic counterweight to Western-led institutions. Worth mentioning here is that US President Donald Trump has accused some BRICS members of pursuing “anti-American” policies. He has attacked Iran and imposed punishing tariffs on India.
After becoming the President of the US for the second time last year, Trump had threatened all the BRICS members with an additional 10 percent tariff. “When I heard about this group from BRICS, six countries, basically, I hit them very, very hard. And if they ever really form in a meaningful way, it will end very quickly,” Trump had said in July 2025.
