External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will address a virtual summit of the BRICS grouping convened by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to discuss the trade disruptions triggered by the US’s tariff policy.
Brazil is the current chair of the grouping, which also includes China, Russia, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Last week, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had confirmed Jaishankar’s participation in the summit.
"From our side, it will be the external affairs minister who will be participating in (the meeting). This BRICS Summit is at the leaders' level," he said at his weekly media briefing.
The summit will discuss ways to create a common approach in dealing with the Trump administration's tariff tussle.
Last month, Lula had held talks with Modi over the phone, during which the two leaders had pledged to boost bilateral trade and energy ties.
Washington has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on both Indian and Brazilian goods.
However, India’s decision to nominate Jaishankar to attend the summit is seen as a balancing act with Washington getting increasingly suspicious about the agenda of BRICS, reported PTI news agency.
Trump has called BRICS an anti-American grouping and warned it against any "de-dollarisation" efforts.
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025.