ABSTRACT
Brazil and India occupy distinctive positions as Third World middle powers because they possess greater breadth and diversity of power and influence, domestically and internationally, than any other developing states. The theme of Brazil and India as Third World middle powers will be developed by moving from the general position of Third World states in the international system to the specific threefold categorization of Third World states. India, like Brazil, has emerged as a significant power and has had serious diplomatic problems with great powers in pursuing a relatively autonomous foreign policy course. Brazil and India constitute a final group of Third World states because they have a broad, diversified power base and concomitant international influence. Neither Brazil nor India ranks well in most indicators of social development, such as per capita income, but both stand very high in terms of aggregate and diversified economic power and on this basis warrant middle power status.
