Constructing Multipolar Worlds: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Indian and Russian Identities in BRICS

This study examines how India and Russia have constructed their geopolitical identities within BRICS between 2015 and 2024. The study begins from the observation that while BRICS as an organisation has grown in visibility and ambition, its members continue to express divergent understandings of the organisation, raising questions about how major states present themselves within this multilateral institution. To investigate this, the thesis applies a historical-diachronic Critical Discourse Analysis. This analysis is supported by a mix of 3 theories; Constructivism, Critical Geopolitics and Postcolonialism, with constructivism working as the foundation and overarching theory. This allows for a purposive sample of key BRICS summit speeches delivered by both countries. The analysis shows that over the years, India develops a hybrid identity grounded in reform, postcolonialism, and technological leadership, while Russia moves from economic and technocratic framing toward a civilisational and oppositional narrative aimed at projecting an anti-western stance, an identity grounded in a broader postcolonial struggle. The findings suggest that these identity constructions differ significantly, and that BRICS functions as a discursive arena where member states project different roles and claims, rather than a cohesive multilateral organisation.