- India is a member of most major regional and global groupings. Exams usually ask about membership, founding year and place, and secretariats.
- Two groupings expanded recently: SCO (Belarus became the 10th member in July 2024) and BRICS (Indonesia became the 10th member in January 2025).
- India is not a member of the G7, APEC, NATO or OPEC — a common "which is not" trap.
South Asian and Bay of Bengal Groupings
| Grouping | Founded | Members | Secretariat |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAARC | December 8, 1985, Dhaka | 8 — Afghanistan (joined 2007), Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka | Kathmandu |
| BIMSTEC | 1997, Bangkok Declaration | 7 — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand | Dhaka |
The last SAARC summit was held in Kathmandu in 2014; the 2016 Islamabad summit was called off after the Uri attack. India has since put more weight on BIMSTEC, whose Charter came into force on May 20, 2024, giving it legal personality. BIMSTEC links South Asia with South-East Asia and has no Pakistan or Afghanistan.
Asia-Pacific Groupings
- ASEAN — founded by the Bangkok Declaration (1967); secretariat in Jakarta. Its ten long-standing members were joined by Timor-Leste as the 11th in October 2025. India became a sectoral partner in 1992, dialogue partner in 1996 and a Comprehensive Strategic Partner in 2022.
- QUAD — India, the USA, Japan and Australia. First proposed in 2007 and revived in 2017; the first leaders' summit was held online in March 2021. It has no secretariat or charter.
- East Asia Summit — ASEAN plus eight partners, including India; India's "Act East" policy was announced at the EAS in Myanmar in 2014.
SAARC members8
BIMSTEC members7
SCO members10 (Belarus 2024)
BRICS members10 (Indonesia 2025)
G20 new memberAfrican Union, 2023
NAM foundedBelgrade, 1961
Eurasian and Global South Groupings
| Grouping | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) | Founded 2001 in Shanghai; secretariat in Beijing; its anti-terror body RATS is in Tashkent. Ten members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan (2017), Iran (2023) and Belarus (July 4, 2024). India chaired it in 2023. |
| BRICS | BRIC foreign ministers first met in 2006; the first summit was at Yekaterinburg in 2009. South Africa joined in 2010. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined in January 2024 and Indonesia on January 6, 2025, making ten. Saudi Arabia was invited but has not formally confirmed membership. A "partner country" tier was created at Kazan in 2024. Its bank, the New Development Bank, is in Shanghai. India holds the BRICS chair in 2026. |
| Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) | First summit in Belgrade, 1961; founding leaders Nehru (India), Tito (Yugoslavia), Nasser (Egypt), Sukarno (Indonesia) and Nkrumah (Ghana). About 120 members — the largest grouping after the UN. |
| Commonwealth | 56 members, mostly former British territories; secretariat in London. Rwanda (2009) and Mozambique (1995) joined without a British colonial link. |
G20 and G7
- The G20 began in 1999 as a meeting of finance ministers after the Asian financial crisis; leaders' summits began in 2008 (Washington). It has no permanent secretariat and works through a rotating presidency and the troika (past, present and next presidents).
- Under India's presidency, the New Delhi summit (September 2023) made the African Union a permanent member and announced the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
- The G7 — USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, with the EU attending. Russia's membership of the G8 was suspended in 2014 after it annexed Crimea. India is often invited as a guest but is not a member.
Smaller Groupings Worth Knowing
- I2U2 — India, Israel, the UAE and the USA (2022), focused on food, water, energy and technology.
- IBSA — India, Brazil and South Africa (2003, Brasília Declaration).
- Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) — 1997; secretariat in Mauritius.
- Mekong–Ganga Cooperation — India and five Mekong countries (2000).
- Membership odd-one-out: "Which country is not a member of BIMSTEC?" (Pakistan, Maldives or Afghanistan are the usual answers).
- Secretariat matching: SAARC Kathmandu, BIMSTEC Dhaka, ASEAN Jakarta, SCO Beijing, RATS Tashkent.
- Recent changes: newest members of SCO (Belarus), BRICS (Indonesia), G20 (African Union) and ASEAN (Timor-Leste).
Q1. Which country became the 10th full member of the SCO in July 2024?
✅ Answer: (c) Belarus
💡 Explanation: Belarus's accession was completed at the Astana summit on July 4, 2024.
Q2. The secretariat of BIMSTEC is located in:
✅ Answer: (a) Dhaka
💡 Explanation: BIMSTEC's permanent secretariat was set up in Dhaka in 2014.
Q3. Which country is NOT a member of SAARC?
✅ Answer: (d) Myanmar
💡 Explanation: Myanmar is a BIMSTEC and ASEAN member, but not part of SAARC.
Q4. The African Union became a permanent member of the G20 at the summit held in:
✅ Answer: (b) New Delhi
💡 Explanation: It was admitted at the New Delhi summit in September 2023 under India's presidency.
Q5. Which of these groupings is India NOT a member of?
✅ Answer: (c) G7
💡 Explanation: India attends some G7 meetings as an invited guest but is not a member.
🔁 Revise in 60 Seconds
- SAARC 1985 Dhaka, 8 members, secretariat Kathmandu.
- BIMSTEC 1997, 7 members, Dhaka; charter in force May 2024.
- SCO 2001: India & Pakistan 2017, Iran 2023, Belarus 2024 → 10.
- BRICS: +Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE (2024), +Indonesia (2025) → 10; NDB Shanghai.
📌 Prelims Traps to Avoid
- ✘ The SCO secretariat is in Beijing; its RATS is in Tashkent.
- ✘ Myanmar and Thailand are in BIMSTEC, not SAARC.
- ✘ Saudi Arabia was invited to BRICS but has not formally confirmed membership.
Which countries are members of BRICS?
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, joined by Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE in January 2024 and Indonesia in January 2025. Saudi Arabia was invited but has not formally confirmed membership.
What is the difference between SAARC and BIMSTEC?
SAARC (1985) has eight South Asian members including Pakistan and Afghanistan. BIMSTEC (1997) has seven members around the Bay of Bengal, including Myanmar and Thailand but not Pakistan, linking South and South-East Asia.