India’s invitation to Nepal and Bangladesh to participate in the BRICS outreach session could help strengthen engagement across South Asia and create an opportunity to reset regional ties.
India is preparing to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi next month. The participation of the Nepalese and Bangladeshi premiers is expected to provide a platform for discussions on shared global challenges, economic growth, regional connectivity and cooperation among countries of the Global South.
Bangladesh is currently the chair of BIMSTEC, while Nepal is also a member of the regional grouping. Inviting both countries to the BRICS outreach session reflects India’s broader effort to strengthen multilateral dialogue and expand cooperation with neighbouring countries.
The outreach comes at a time of changing political and diplomatic dynamics across South Asia. The participation of Nepal and Bangladesh could provide India with an opportunity to rebuild momentum in bilateral relations while advancing wider regional cooperation.
India’s BRICS chairmanship is guided by the theme of building resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. The grouping has increasingly emerged as an important platform for emerging economies to discuss economic development, global governance and shared challenges.
Nepal’s participation could also reinforce its engagement with the Global South while maintaining its traditional balanced foreign policy approach between India and China. For Bangladesh, the BRICS platform could offer opportunities to deepen economic and regional engagement.
The proposed outreach is therefore being viewed as more than a multilateral gathering, with the potential to support stronger regional cooperation and open a new chapter in India’s engagement with its South Asian neighbours.
