NEW DELHI, January 17, 2026 — The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today clarified India’s stance regarding its non-participation in a recent maritime drill frequently labeled by media outlets as a “BRICS Naval Exercise.”
Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a statement emphasizing that the exercise was a localized South African initiative rather than a formal or institutionalized activity of the BRICS bloc.Jaiswal noted that while some BRICS member nations chose to participate, the event did not involve the entire collective.
He further clarified that India has historically opted out of such activities, as they do not constitute regular BRICS programming.
Instead, India continues to focus its maritime cooperation within the IBSAMAR framework—a dedicated naval exercise involving India, Brazil, and South Africa. The most recent edition of IBSAMAR was successfully conducted in October 2024, maintaining the established trilateral partnership between these three nations.
