Lalit Gargg
The 18th BRICS Summit, to be held in New Delhi on September 12–13, comes at a time when the global order is undergoing profound transformation. The Russia-Ukraine war, tensions in West Asia, terrorism, trade conflicts, concerns over energy and food security, the rapidly emerging challenges of artificial intelligence, and growing questions over the credibility of global institutions have created a host of unresolved issues before the world. At the same time, the pressure generated by the United States’ trade and strategic policies is also affecting the global economy. Against this backdrop, the summit under India’s chairmanship is not merely a diplomatic gathering; it is an important opportunity to shape the direction of the evolving world order.
India has placed resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability at the heart of its BRICS presidency, with the objective of building a better future on these foundations. BRICS has travelled a long way from its original conception in 2006, when Brazil, Russia, India and China emerged as major growing economies and South Africa later joined the grouping. Following its expansion, BRICS has become an 11-member grouping whose influence in the politics and economics of the Global South continues to grow. The year 2026 is also significant because it marks two decades since the establishment of BRICS. For India, the chairmanship is particularly important because it does not want BRICS to be projected as an anti-Western or anti-American platform. Instead, India seeks to establish it as a constructive, balanced and genuinely multilateral voice of developing and emerging economies.
At the 2025 BRICS Summit in Brazil, important understandings were reached on strengthening the voice of the Global South, reforming the multilateral system, responsible global governance of artificial intelligence, climate finance, healthcare, trade and financial cooperation. The Rio Declaration emphasised the need to make the United Nations system more representative and to reform global institutions. It also called for greater progress in financial transactions in local currencies, cross-border payment mechanisms and stronger supply chains.
While handing over the BRICS chairmanship to India for 2026, Brazil expressed the expectation that New Delhi would carry this process forward. Therefore, the first major test of the Delhi Summit will be whether BRICS can narrow the gap between its declarations and tangible achievements. During its presidency, India has organised more than 350 meetings and high-level programmes across over 25 cities. The emphasis has been on practical outcomes in three broad areas: political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The world will therefore be watching closely to see whether the summit concludes merely with another lengthy joint declaration or produces concrete decisions whose impact can be felt in the years ahead.
Artificial intelligence is among the most important challenges before this summit. AI has opened unprecedented opportunities in medicine, education, agriculture, industry, finance and governance. Yet it has also intensified concerns over employment, data protection, misinformation, cybersecurity and technological inequality. The 2025 BRICS Summit in Brazil had also expressed significant concern over the global governance of AI. India is now pushing for greater cooperation among BRICS countries in areas such as artificial intelligence, advanced computing, quantum technology and semiconductors. If BRICS can create an effective framework through which advanced technologies are made accessible to developing countries rather than remaining concentrated in the hands of a few powerful nations and corporations, it would represent a major achievement.
The second major challenge is economic. The weight of BRICS in the global economy is increasing, but intra-BRICS trade still falls considerably short of its potential. India is seeking to strengthen and diversify supply chains, expand access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, and promote trade in local currencies. The BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Jaipur made progress on issues including the BRICS Economic Partnership 2030, financial facilities for MSMEs and more balanced trade. The question of de-dollarisation is also significant, but India’s approach remains pragmatic. India is not in favour of rushing towards the creation of a common BRICS currency. Instead, it is emphasising the development of cross-border digital payment mechanisms that can enable member countries to conduct trade more smoothly in their respective national currencies. This approach is less about creating a political front against the US dollar and more about enhancing financial autonomy and facilitating international transactions.
However, the greatest weakness of BRICS lies in its internal diversity and differences. The legacy of border disputes and strategic distrust between India and China has not completely disappeared. The conflict between Russia and the West, tensions surrounding Iran, and the complex situation in West Asia also make it difficult for BRICS to formulate a common political position. In particular, the current crisis in West Asia presents a difficult challenge. Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have different interests and strategic priorities. If BRICS fails to reach a common position on major international issues, its limitations will become increasingly evident. This is precisely why India faces its most difficult diplomatic balancing act at the summit. It has to deepen cooperation with China and Russia while simultaneously maintaining its economic and strategic relationships with the United States, Europe and other Western countries. India’s interest does not lie in aligning itself with any single power bloc. Its objective is to strengthen strategic autonomy in a multipolar world. If BRICS is presented merely as an “alternative to the West”, its global acceptability could remain limited. But if it emerges as a platform for the development of the Global South, peace, technological equality and fair representation, its relevance and influence will increase substantially.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly stressed the need to reform global institutions. His argument is that institutions created in the 20th century must be transformed to reflect the realities of the 21st century. The contribution of several countries to the global economy has increased dramatically, yet if they do not receive adequate representation in decision-making processes, the credibility and effectiveness of international institutions will inevitably suffer. The demand for reforms in the United Nations Security Council, International Monetary Fund and World Bank is part of this broader concern. BRICS can become an effective collective voice for these reforms.
Yet the real measure of the Delhi Summit’s success will not be criticism of America or a challenge to the Western system. BRICS will succeed only when it offers the world a better and more constructive alternative—one based on economic cooperation, technological partnerships, energy and food security, a shared commitment against terrorism, secure supply chains, environmental sustainability and genuine participation of developing nations. India’s philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” — the world is one family — will acquire real meaning only when BRICS becomes a new bridge of cooperation rather than another arena of geopolitical rivalry. Ultimately, the Delhi Summit is both a test of India’s diplomatic capabilities and a test of BRICS’ continuing relevance. The world today needs peace more than war, cooperation more than confrontation, and partnership more than domination. The future of humanity cannot be secured merely through weapons, space missions or the power of artificial intelligence. It depends equally, if not more, on trust, coexistence and shared development among the people who inhabit this planet.
If the New Delhi Summit succeeds in moving beyond declarations and takes concrete steps towards institutionalising this spirit of trust, cooperation and shared progress, it will be a major achievement for India’s BRICS presidency. Otherwise, BRICS risks becoming yet another global forum that raises great expectations but falls short of fulfilling them. The choice before BRICS is clear: it can either become another battleground in the struggle for global power, or it can emerge as a bridge connecting nations through cooperation, equality and shared prosperity. The world is waiting to see which path New Delhi chooses |
