India Skips BRICS Naval Drill Amid Escalating Tensions with China
India's absence from a major BRICS naval exercise off South Africa's coast underscores deepening geopolitical fissures. The drill, involving Russia, China, Iran, and South Africa, proceeded without New Delhi's participation—a deliberate snub rooted in India-China tensions. Analysts view the MOVE as strategic recalibration amid Beijing's expanding Indian Ocean presence.
Military assets deployed for the Durban-based exercise included China's Tangshan guided missile destroyer and Russia's Marshal Shaposhnikov. India's defense establishment maintains cautious distance from multilateral engagements involving Chinese forces, even within BRICS frameworks. "This isn't about scheduling conflicts," a senior official noted, "but about drawing red lines in blue waters."
The Line of Actual Control remains a flashpoint, with naval posturing increasingly reflecting land border disputes. As BRICS members showcase maritime cooperation, India's abstention signals hardening alliances in both traditional and digital theaters—where blockchain-based settlement systems could soon become new battlegrounds for economic influence.
