Can India become the bridge that a deeply divided world desperately needs?

As New Delhi prepares to host the BRICS Summit 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic balancing act comes under the global spotlight. With leaders from Russia, China and Iran expected in New Delhi, key bilateral meetings could offer opportunities for dialogue amid some of the world’s most dangerous conflicts.

The Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel remain major challenges. India maintains working relationships with countries on opposing sides of these conflicts, giving New Delhi a unique diplomatic position.

But can BRICS become a meaningful space for peace? And can India use its role as BRICS chair to build common ground among members with competing interests?

WION speaks to former Indian ambassador and diplomat Gurjit Singh about India’s diplomatic role, the expansion of BRICS, China’s vision for the bloc and New Delhi’s challenge of keeping BRICS focused on the Global South.

Watch the full report and interview for an in-depth look at India’s biggest diplomatic test at BRICS 2026.

BRICS 2026: Modi, Putin & Xi Meet in New Delhi | Is a New Global Power Shift Coming

Donald Trump's military strategy is facing renewed scrutiny as concerns grow over U.S. weapons stockpiles and defense production. Questions are mounting over whether Washington can simultaneously support Ukraine, maintain pressure on Iran, deter China, and reassure allies without overstretching its military resources. As debates intensify over Patriot missile supplies, logistics, and industrial capacity, analysts warn that inventory shortages could become a major strategic challenge for the United States.

Trump's War Strategy Under Fire | U.S. Weapons Shortage Raises Questions Over Ukraine, Iran & China

As more global hotspots and crises emerge, the Indian government has been issuing travel advisories for its nationals. Over the weekend, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued an updated advisory for Bangladesh in which it "strongly advised" Indians against travelling to the country that has seen increased violence in the last 24 hours.

The MEA statement said, "All Indian nationals presently in Bangladesh are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the High Commission of India in Dhaka through their emergency phone numbers". Over 8000 Indian students have left Bangladesh since the outbreak of violence in the last few weeks.

Last week saw India issuing an advisory for Lebanon and Israel as the situation worsens in the backdrop of the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran which Iran blames on Israeli authorities. Some strong reaction is being expected from Iran, keeping West Asia on the edge.

The Indian embassy in Lebanon issued three&nbsp;back-to-back advisories, the last one advising Indians against all travel to and from Lebanon. The Indian embassy in Israel asked its nationals to "stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols". Meanwhile, Air India has suspended flights to Tel Aviv. Israel has 26000 Indians, Iran has 10,000 Indians and Lebanon has 4000 Indians.&nbsp;

Not just the neighbourhood and West Asia, India has alerted its nationals in Nigeria and Kenya as well since both countries face&nbsp;internal crisis and have significant presence of Indians.

Also watch |&nbsp;Bangladesh Protest: Renewed anti-government protests leave nearly 100 dead

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-protest-renewed-anti-government-protests-leave-nearly-100-dead-747243/embed" width="560"></iframe>

While these advisories have been issued in the past few months, Indian advisories have been issued for specific reasons and for specific strata of society. For example, India has advisories for Indian students in the US, Canada and Russia where reports have emerged of Indian students losing lives. In South East Asia, advisories for Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia where Indians have found themselves being the target of fake job racket scams. 
&nbsp; 
Not just travel advisories, but three&nbsp;countries have been banned for Indians to visit. These are five provinces of Iraq, Yemen and Libya. As per the travel advisory issued on February 18, 2020, Indian nationals should not travel to five provinces of Iraq, namely Nineveh, Salahuddin, Diyala, Anbar and Kirkuk due to the security situation. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-protesters-call-for-march-to-dhaka-as-fresh-clashes-leave-nearly-100-dead-747266">Also read |&nbsp;Bangladesh protesters call for march to Dhaka as fresh clashes leave nearly 100 dead</a>

India issued an advisory on Yemen in 2016/2017 under which all Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid travelling to Yemen under any circumstances. The passport or travel document issued by the Government of India is invalid for travel to Yemen. India announced a travel ban for Libya in May 2016.

As more global hotspots and crises emerge, the Indian government has been issuing travel advisories for its nationals. Over the weekend, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued an updated advisory for Bangladesh in which it "strongly advised" Indians against travelling to the country that has seen increased violence in the last 24 hours.

As more global hotspots and crises emerge, the Indian government has been issuing travel advisories for its nationals. Over the weekend, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued an updated advisory for Bangladesh in which it "strongly advised" Indians against travelling to the country that has seen increased violence in the last 24 hours. The MEA statement said, "All Indian nationals presently in Bangladesh are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the High Commission of India in Dhaka through their emergency phone numbers". Over 8000 Indian students have left Bangladesh since the outbreak of violence in the last few weeks. Last week saw India issuing an advisory for Lebanon and Israel as the situation worsens in the backdrop of the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran which Iran blames on Israeli authorities. Some strong reaction is being expected from Iran, keeping West Asia on the edge. The Indian embassy in Lebanon issued three back-to-back advisories, the last one advising Indians against all travel to and from Lebanon. The Indian embassy in Israel asked its nationals to "stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols". Meanwhile, Air India has suspended flights to Tel Aviv. Israel has 26000 Indians, Iran has 10,000 Indians and Lebanon has 4000 Indians. Not just the neighbourhood and West Asia, India has alerted its nationals in Nigeria and Kenya as well since both countries face internal crisis and have significant presence of Indians. Also watch | Bangladesh Protest: Renewed anti-government protests leave nearly 100 dead While these advisories have been issued in the past few months, Indian advisories have been issued for specific reasons and for specific strata of society. For example, India has advisories for Indian students in the US, Canada and Russia where reports have emerged of Indian students losing lives. In South East Asia, advisories for Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia where Indians have found themselves being the target of fake job racket scams. Not just travel advisories, but three countries have been banned for Indians to visit. These are five provinces of Iraq, Yemen and Libya. As per the travel advisory issued on February 18, 2020, Indian nationals should not travel to five provinces of Iraq, namely Nineveh, Salahuddin, Diyala, Anbar and Kirkuk due to the security situation. Also read | Bangladesh protesters call for march to Dhaka as fresh clashes leave nearly 100 dead India issued an advisory on Yemen in 2016/2017 under which all Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid travelling to Yemen under any circumstances. The passport or travel document issued by the Government of India is invalid for travel to Yemen. India announced a travel ban for Libya in May 2016.

As global conflicts and crises rise, India issues number of advisories for its nationals

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised the importance of the ‘Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence’, which gained prominence with the Non-Aligned Movement, as a means to resolve current conflicts.

He also sought to expand China's influence in the Global South amid its ongoing tensions with the West.

Xi Jinping, invoked the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, termed as 'Panchsheel' by India, at a conference in Beijing to mark its 70th anniversary and also sought to juxtapose them with his new concept of Global Security Initiative envisaging a shared future for mankind.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinping-using-relatives-to-conceal-7072mn-wealth-says-report-730561" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinping-using-relatives-to-conceal-7072mn-wealth-says-report-730561&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj91Yi4qICHAxX7sVYBHd1pDgsQFnoECAkQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw1njOLy6ItmyhycDWEAVJUn&amp;arm=e&amp;fexp=72519171,72519168" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinping-using-relatives-to-conceal-7072mn-wealth-says-report-730561" target="_blank">Xi Jinping&nbsp;using relatives to conceal $707.2mn wealth, says report</a>

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the 'Panchsheel' principles were first formally outlined in the Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India, signed on April 29, 1954.

'Panchsheel' or The five principles were part of the legacy of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai, formed during their unsuccessful attempt to resolve the complex boundary issue.

"The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence answered the call of the times, and its commencement was an inevitable historic development. The Chinese leadership in the past specified the Five Principles in their entirety for the first time, namely, 'mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity', 'mutual non-aggression', 'mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs', 'equality and mutual benefit', and 'peaceful coexistence'," Xi Jinping said.

"They included the Five Principles in the China-India and China-Myanmar joint statements, which collectively called for establishing them as basic norms for state-to-state relations," Xi added at the conference.

Invitees of the conference included former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several political leaders and officials from various countries associated with China over the years.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/with-xi-jinping-in-europe-china-plays-geopolitics-720020" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/with-xi-jinping-in-europe-china-plays-geopolitics-720020&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj91Yi4qICHAxX7sVYBHd1pDgsQFnoECAIQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw1_o259L5nMu0HR1a2DdY9g&amp;arm=e&amp;fexp=72519171,72519168" dir="ltr" href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/with-xi-jinping-in-europe-china-plays-geopolitics-720020&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj91Yi4qICHAxX7sVYBHd1pDgsQFnoECAIQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw1_o259L5nMu0HR1a2DdY9g&amp;arm=e&amp;fexp=72519171,72519168" target="_blank">With&nbsp;Xi Jinping&nbsp;in Europe, China plays geopolitics</a>

Xi Jinping recalled in his address that 'Panchsheel', the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were born in Asia (India) but in no time it rose up to the world stage. In 1955, more than 20 Asian and African countries attended the Bandung Conference.

The Non-Aligned Movement, founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, that rose in the 1960s adopted the 'Panchsheel' or Five Principles as its guiding principles.

"The Five Principles have set a historic benchmark for international relations and international rule of law," Xi said.

Xi, who began his unprecedented third five-year term in power last year, has been encouraging several initiatives, including his billion-dollar pet project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), to enhance China's global influence.

Under the BRI, Beijing has made huge investments in infrastructure projects in smaller countries which in coming years attracted allegations of debt diplomacy as many countries struggled to pay back loans taken from China.

“China will establish a Global South Research Centre to better support Global South-South cooperation,” Xi said.

“China will provide 1,000 'Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Scholarship of Excellence,' 1,00,000 training opportunities to Global South countries in the next five years,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised the importance of the ‘Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence’, which gained prominence with the Non-Aligned Movement, as a means to resolve current conflicts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised the importance of the ‘Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence’, which gained prominence with the Non-Aligned Movement, as a means to resolve current conflicts. He also sought to expand China's influence in the Global South amid its ongoing tensions with the West. Xi Jinping, invoked the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, termed as 'Panchsheel' by India, at a conference in Beijing to mark its 70th anniversary and also sought to juxtapose them with his new concept of Global Security Initiative envisaging a shared future for mankind. Also read: Xi Jinping using relatives to conceal $707.2mn wealth, says report According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the 'Panchsheel' principles were first formally outlined in the Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India, signed on April 29, 1954. 'Panchsheel' or The five principles were part of the legacy of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai, formed during their unsuccessful attempt to resolve the complex boundary issue. "The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence answered the call of the times, and its commencement was an inevitable historic development. The Chinese leadership in the past specified the Five Principles in their entirety for the first time, namely, 'mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity', 'mutual non-aggression', 'mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs', 'equality and mutual benefit', and 'peaceful coexistence'," Xi Jinping said. "They included the Five Principles in the China-India and China-Myanmar joint statements, which collectively called for establishing them as basic norms for state-to-state relations," Xi added at the conference. Invitees of the conference included former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several political leaders and officials from various countries associated with China over the years. Also read: With Xi Jinping in Europe, China plays geopolitics Xi Jinping recalled in his address that 'Panchsheel', the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were born in Asia (India) but in no time it rose up to the world stage. In 1955, more than 20 Asian and African countries attended the Bandung Conference. The Non-Aligned Movement, founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, that rose in the 1960s adopted the 'Panchsheel' or Five Principles as its guiding principles. "The Five Principles have set a historic benchmark for international relations and international rule of law," Xi said. Xi, who began his unprecedented third five-year term in power last year, has been encouraging several initiatives, including his billion-dollar pet project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), to enhance China's global influence. Under the BRI, Beijing has made huge investments in infrastructure projects in smaller countries which in coming years attracted allegations of debt diplomacy as many countries struggled to pay back loans taken from China. “China will establish a Global South Research Centre to better support Global South-South cooperation,” Xi said. “China will provide 1,000 'Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Scholarship of Excellence,' 1,00,000 training opportunities to Global South countries in the next five years,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Xi Jinping praises India's 'Panchsheel' agreement for ending global conflicts

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