India Clarifies Its Absence from Brics Naval Exercise, Citing Lack of Institutional Link
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India has clarified its decision not to participate in the recent Brics naval exercise, 'Will for Peace 2026', held off the coast of South Africa. According to the external affairs ministry, the exercise was not a regular or institutionalized Brics activity, and not all member countries were involved. The drill, hosted by South Africa and led by China, took place from January 9-16 near Simon's Town, with several countries participating, including China, Iran, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa. However, India has instead participated in the IBSAMAR maritime exercise, along with Brazil and South Africa, in previous years, including the last edition held in October 2024. The decision to stay away from the Will for Peace exercise is believed to be linked to its operational leadership by China and involvement of countries with adversarial relations with the US. Brazil, another Brics member, also limited its role to observer status. The exercise focused on various activities such as search and rescue operations, maritime strike simulations, and communication and interoperability drills. Chinese officials announced that Egypt, Indonesia, and Ethiopia joined the drill as observers. India's external affairs ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that India has not participated in similar activities in the past, emphasizing the drill's non-institutional nature and lack of Brics participation.
