India, Sept. 11 -- Much of the West still sees non-alignment as merely a moralistic posture, a cop-out, thus continuing Cold War biases. Yet, the fracturing of the global order - catalysed recently by the unpredictability of foreign policies of superpowers such as the US - has highlighted the importance of India's commitment to the principle. When overlapping and often contradictory groupings become the norm, the flexibility of India's posture could emerge as its strength. As the BRICS summit starts in New Delhi today, marking the grouping's 20th year, India's foreign policy must be seen through this filter.

BRICS itself is a coalition of convenience. While China and Russia see it as a tool to challenge western institutional dominance, f...