Regional groupings
Regional groupings — SAARC · BIMSTEC · SCO · BRICS · G20 · G7
8 min read · Updated 2026-05-25
What are India's major multilateral groupings?
India's major multilateral groupings are the G20, which it presided over in 2023 and where the African Union joined on 9 September 2023; BRICS, founded at Yekaterinburg in 2009 and expanded on 1 January 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE; and the SCO, founded in 2001, which India joined in 2017. India is not a G7 member but has been invited since 2019.
The story
It is 9-10 September 2023, G20 Leaders' Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. PM Modi, as host, presides over the most participatory G20 Summit in history — 130+ side events, 38 agreements, G20 Declaration adopted on 9 September (despite Russia-Ukraine + China-US tensions), African Union admitted as 21st member. India's Sherpa Amitabh Kant consolidates "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (One Earth-One Family-One Future) as G20 theme.
For UPSC, multilateral forums (BRICS + G20 + SCO + UN) are heavily tested in Mains GS-II international relations.
Why this matters for UPSC
For UPSC:
- Prelims: BRICS + G20 + SCO + UN structure + India's role + recent summits.
- Mains GS-II: India's multilateral diplomacy + UN reform + Global South leadership.