QUAD is the past, video argues BRICS future

A YouTube video titled “QUAD is the Past; India’s Future is in BRICS & the New World Order” circulated on May 21, presenting a case for India to shift its strategic emphasis away from the Quad and toward BRICS. The clip framed the two groupings as competing political projects rather than parallel forums, according to its title and distribution on regional strategic commentary threads. The video’s appearance comes as India is formally engaged in both blocs in 2026. Official Indian and U.S. materials show New Delhi is chairing BRICS this year while also preparing to host the next Quad Leaders’ Summit later in 2026. ### What exactly did the video argue? The May 21 YouTube post argued, by its title, that the “Quad is the past” and that India’s future lies in “BRICS & the New World Order.” The available indexed material does not provide a full transcript, so the precise wording inside the video could not be independently quoted. The title and circulation, however, show the central claim: India should privilege BRICS over the Quad as it defines its external posture. (brics2026.gov.in) Regional commentary flagged the clip on the day it circulated, according to the source briefings provided for this story. Those briefings described the argument as one framed in bloc and civilizational terms, with BRICS presented as the more suitable vehicle for India’s future alignment. ### Why does that claim land at a notable moment for India? India entered 2026 as chair of BRICS, and the official BRICS India 2026 site says External Affairs Minister S. (youtube.com) Jaishankar launched the preparation process, website, theme and logo in New Delhi on January 13. The same site lists the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in May and other chairship activities under India’s stewardship this year. May 2026 has also been active on the Quad track. A U.S. State Department joint statement from the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington on July 1, 2025, said the next Quad Leaders’ Summit would be hosted by India later in 2026, and the next Quad foreign ministers’ meeting would be hosted by Australia in 2026. (brics2026.gov.in) ### Is India officially choosing BRICS over the Quad? India’s official posture, based on public documents, does not show a choice of one grouping in place of the other. The Ministry of External Affairs’ Quad brief describes the Quad as bringing together India, Australia, Japan and the United States to support a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” while the U.S. State Department describes it as a diplomatic partnership committed to a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” (state.gov) At the same time, India is visibly investing in BRICS. The official BRICS India 2026 site and MEA-linked updates show New Delhi hosting BRICS meetings this year under its chairship. That combination indicates India is active in both formats at once, rather than publicly replacing one with the other. That is an inference drawn from the parallel official schedules and statements. (mea.gov.in) ### What do the two blocs actually include? The Quad consists of four countries — India, Australia, Japan and the United States — according to the U.S. State Department and India’s MEA brief. Its published agenda includes maritime security, economic security, critical and emerging technology, humanitarian assistance and regional coordination. BRICS in 2026 is operating under India’s chairship through an expanded format. (brics2026.gov.in) The official BRICS India 2026 site lists current chairship activity, including the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi in May. ### Why are videos like this getting attention? The May 21 clip drew notice because it attached a hard-edged political thesis to institutions India is simultaneously using. (state.gov) The source briefings for this story described the video as part of a wider pattern in which geopolitical commentary is framed through identity, bloc rivalry and “new world order” language. Official records, however, show India continuing to work through both channels. (brics2026.gov.in) The BRICS chairship calendar is active in New Delhi this year, while Quad documents from 2025 point to an India-hosted leaders’ summit later in 2026. The next concrete milestones are official rather than rhetorical: India’s BRICS 2026 chairship events are already underway, and the next Quad Leaders’ Summit is scheduled to be hosted by India later in 2026, according to the July 1, 2025 joint statement from the four foreign ministers. (brics2026.gov.in)