Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday shared an article by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that places the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at the centre of a wider conversation on legislative diplomacy, institutional cooperation and cross-border policy dialogue. The move is significant not merely as a routine endorsement of a parliamentary opinion piece, but as a signal that New Delhi sees parliaments as an increasingly important channel for shaping the political architecture of multilateral groupings.
The article, highlighted by the Prime Minister on social media, frames the BRICS parliamentary platform as more than a ceremonial gathering of lawmakers. It argues that the forum can help deepen mutual understanding among member states, create space for structured dialogue on shared challenges, and reinforce democratic legitimacy in a bloc that has expanded its geopolitical reach in recent years. In practical terms, the message is that parliamentary institutions can help translate high-level diplomatic intent into more durable political cooperation.
Parliamentary Diplomacy Gains
The emphasis on the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum comes at a time when BRICS itself is undergoing a period of recalibration. The grouping, originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has broadened its profile and ambitions, drawing greater attention as a platform for the Global South. Against that backdrop, parliamentary engagement offers a softer but potentially more resilient layer of diplomacy, one that can survive shifts in government, electoral cycles and bilateral friction.
For India, this is especially relevant. New Delhi has consistently positioned itself as a voice for institutional reform, inclusive growth and multipolar cooperation. By elevating the role of legislatures within BRICS, the government is reinforcing the idea that international cooperation should not be confined to foreign ministries and summit communiqués. Instead, it should be embedded in representative institutions that can scrutinise, explain and sustain policy choices over time.
Om Birla's article appears to advance that argument by linking parliamentary dialogue with practical cooperation. Such forums can facilitate exchange on governance models, economic priorities, digital regulation, development finance and social policy, while also creating channels for lawmakers to better understand the domestic constraints and strategic priorities of partner countries. In a bloc as diverse as BRICS, that kind of institutional familiarity can be politically useful, even when member states differ sharply on security, trade or regional issues.
India's Multilateral Signal
Modi's decision to share the piece also carries a domestic and diplomatic message. Domestically, it reinforces the stature of Parliament as an active participant in India's external engagement, rather than a passive observer of foreign policy. Diplomatically, it projects India as a country that values dialogue across institutions and sees parliamentary exchange as part of the broader machinery of statecraft.
The timing matters as well. With global governance under pressure from conflict, economic uncertainty and competing geopolitical alignments, middle powers and emerging economies are looking for forums that can deliver practical cooperation without demanding rigid ideological alignment. BRICS has increasingly been presented as one such platform. A parliamentary forum within that structure allows member states to showcase consensus-building, even as they navigate complex bilateral relationships and divergent national interests.
There is also a symbolic dimension. Parliamentary forums often do not command the same headlines as leader-level summits, but they can shape the tone of cooperation by encouraging transparency, continuity and peer learning. In that sense, the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum is being framed not as an auxiliary event, but as a mechanism for strengthening the institutional fabric of the grouping.
For India, the broader strategic value lies in demonstrating that multilateralism can be made more representative and more grounded in democratic processes. By amplifying Om Birla's article, the Prime Minister has effectively underlined a policy preference: that parliamentary engagement should be treated as a serious instrument of international cooperation, capable of supporting both national interests and collective problem-solving within BRICS.