Harnessing BRICS ‘POWER’ to Empower The World

Syllabus: GS2/International Relations; Global Grouping

Context

• New Delhi is set to host the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit on September 12-13, during India’s BRICS presidency is guided by the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’.

About BRICS

• BRICS is a major platform of emerging economies and the Global South, initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010.
• Its expansion has substantially increased its demographic, economic and geopolitical weight.
• BRICS seeks greater cooperation in areas such as economy, finance, trade, technology, development and global governance, while advocating a more representative and multipolar international order.

Historical Evolution: From BRIC to BRICS+

• BRICS has evolved from an economic grouping into a broader platform for strategic autonomy, development cooperation and reform of global governance.
  • 2001: Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC for Brazil, Russia, India and China.
  • 2009: First BRIC Summit was held at Yekaterinburg, Russia.
  • 2010: South Africa joined, creating BRICS.
  • 2024: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE became full members.
  • 2025:Indonesia joined BRICS as a full member, further widening its Global South representation.
    • Also, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam joined BRICS as Partner Countries.
  • 2026: India assumes the chairship and hosts the 18th Summit in New Delhi.

BRICS in 2026 and Future: ‘POWER’ Framework

• China’s support for India’s presidency can be viewed through the five-letter framework of POWER, which captures the potential future trajectory of greater BRICS cooperation.
• P – Principle: BRICS should uphold the UN Charter, sovereign equality, non-interference and peaceful settlement of disputes.
  • It can reinforce a rules-based and multipolar international order amid geopolitical conflicts, hegemonism and power politics.
  • China’s vision of a community with a shared future for humanity, along with initiatives such as the Global Security Initiative and Global Governance Initiative, reflects its approach to common global challenges.
• O – Openness: Sluggish global recovery, protectionism, tariff barriers, decoupling and supply-chain disruptions threaten economic globalisation.
  • BRICS should therefore support the multilateral trading system centred on the WTO, including principles such as Most-Favoured-Nation treatment.
  • Greater cooperation in energy, minerals, infrastructure and industrial and supply chains can promote resilient and open globalisation.
• W – Win-Win: Development needs to remain at the centre of BRICS cooperation.
  • Members should accelerate the UN Sustainable Development Goals, contribute to the post-2030 global development agenda, and ensure equal participation of developing countries.
  • Economic cooperation can deepen through macroeconomic-policy coordination, trade and investment facilitation, local-currency transactions, cross-border payments and stronger financial safety nets.
  • Cooperation is vital for energy, food security and resilient agriculture.
• E – Engine: BRICS countries represent nearly half of the world’s population, around 30% of global economic output and one-fifth of global trade.
  • They possess major natural resources, manufacturing capabilities and large markets.
  • International-agency projections cited in the Chinese perspective indicate that greater BRICS growth could be nearly three times faster than the G7 by 2028.
  • BRICS can become an engine of growth through the digital economy, smart manufacturing, new industrialisation, science and technology, AI, health, agriculture and education.
  • China has established the China-BRICS AI Development and Cooperation Center and China-BRICS New Quality Productive Forces Research Center.
• R – Responsibility: BRICS carries a responsibility to promote peace, development, fairness and Global South solidarity.
  • India and China are to hold the BRICS presidency in succession in 2026 and 2027, making constructive coordination between them important for continuity and stability.

Significance for India and the World

• BRICS offers India a platform to:
  • Strengthen its Global South leadership;
  • Push UN, IMF, World Bank and WTO reforms;
  • Expand economic and technological partnerships;
  • Diversify trade and financial mechanisms;
  • Advance strategic autonomy and multipolarity.
• The improvement in China–India relations, including resumed direct flights and reopening of border trade after a six-year suspension, could facilitate smoother BRICS cooperation.

Related Issues & Concerns

• BRICS faces internal geopolitical differences, divergent economic interests, India-China strategic competition, Russia-related tensions, protectionism, institutional limitations and questions over its expanding membership.
• Greater financial cooperation requires interoperability, transparency and macroeconomic stability.

Conclusion & Way Forward

• India should pursue consensus-based, inclusive and issue-oriented BRICS diplomacy.
• Priorities should include WTO reform, development finance, local-currency payments, resilient supply chains, food-energy security, AI governance, climate action and stronger people-to-people exchanges.
• The 2026 Summit can transform BRICS from a grouping representing emerging economic weight into a ‘POWER’ for principled, open, mutually beneficial, growth-oriented and responsible global cooperation.
• Its success will depend not merely on expansion, but on converting collective weight into effective institutions, practical outcomes and a stronger voice for the Global South.

Source: TH