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    COVER STORY                                                       SEPTEMBER 11, 2026       |  The Indian Eye                    5

            on fossil fuels.                                                                                      different platforms.
                This economic dimension is                                                                            The BRICS summit gives India
            crucial because BRICS’ geopolitical                                                                   an opportunity to demonstrate that
            relevance  ultimately depends  on its                                                                 this approach can produce tangible
            ability to deliver economic benefits.                                                                 outcomes. If New Delhi can use its
            Political statements about multipo-                                                                   chairmanship to build consensus
            larity will have limited impact unless                                                                among countries with divergent inter-
            the grouping can create stronger                                                                      ests, it will strengthen India’s claim to
            trade  links,  resilient  supply  chains,                                                             be a bridge between competing parts
            investment  flows  and  technological                                                                 of the international system.
            partnerships among its members.                                                                           The  bigger  significance  of  the
                Yet  the  political  significance  of                                                             summit, however, will depend on
            BRICS should not be underestimat-                                                                     what happens after the leaders leave
            ed.  Its  members  increasingly  find                                                                 Delhi. BRICS does not need to re-
            themselves dealing with the conse-                                                                    place the G7, NATO or existing in-
            quences of conflicts and rivalries in                                                                 ternational institutions to matter. Its
            which they do not necessarily share                                                                   importance will come from creating
            the strategic calculations of the West.                                                               an additional centre of influence in
            The West Asia crisis is one example.                                                                  a world that is becoming more eco-
            India has sought to maintain rela-  Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya in a group photo during BRICS   nomically diverse and politically
            tions with Iran while also sustain-                                                                   fragmented.
            ing its partnerships with the United   Youth Ministers’ Meeting, in Visakhapatnam (@mansukhmandviya X/ANI Photo)  The new world order is unlike-
            States, Europe and Gulf countries.                                                                    ly to have a single architect. It will
                For New Delhi, BRICS provides   Trade, energy, technology, develop-  existing distribution of power.  emerge  through  competition,  nego-
            an important diplomatic space for   ment finance, food security, climate   The grouping’s call for reform of   tiation and overlapping partnerships.
            pursuing this strategic autonomy. It   change and digital cooperation offer   global economic governance is there-  BRICS is becoming one of the arenas
            allows India to engage with China and   greater possibilities than attempting   fore not simply rhetorical. Its mem-  where that process is taking place.
            Russia while simultaneously working   to manufacture agreement on every   bers want the international financial   For India, hosting the summit
            with Brazil, South Africa and the   geopolitical crisis.            and trading system to give develop-  is therefore more than a diplomat-
            expanding group of Middle Eastern     There is also a larger institution-  ing countries greater space to pursue   ic milestone. It is an opportunity
            members. This is particularly valu-  al question. BRICS is emerging at a   their own economic priorities.  to shape the agenda of a grouping
            able at a time when pressure on coun-  time when confidence in the existing   India’s role will be particular-  whose members represent a sub-
            tries to choose sides between com-  multilateral system is under pressure.   ly important because it occupies an   stantial share of the world’s popula-
            peting power centres is increasing.  The United Nations remains indis-  unusual position within this emerg-  tion,  economic  activity  and  energy
                The challenge, however, is that   pensable, but its institutions contin-  ing order. It is a member of BRICS,   resources. If BRICS can turn its ex-
            BRICS itself contains serious con-  ue to reflect the balance of power of   the Quad and other Western-led   panding membership into practical
            tradictions. India and China remain   an earlier period. The World Bank,   or  Western-linked  initiatives,  while   cooperation and a credible collective
            strategic competitors. Russia’s con-  IMF and other financial institutions   maintaining close relationships with   voice, the New Delhi summit could
            frontation with the West has funda-  face persistent demands for reform.   Russia, the Gulf countries and the   mark  another  step  in  the  gradual
            mentally altered the geopolitical en-  BRICS  countries  are  increasingly   wider Global South. Rather than   shift from a predominantly West-
            vironment. Iran’s regional position   seeking greater influence over these   choosing one camp, New Delhi has   ern-led order towards a genuinely
            creates additional tensions, while the   structures rather than accepting their   increasingly  sought  to  work  across   multipolar one.
            interests of energy exporters do not
            always coincide with those of major
            energy consumers.
                These  differences  make  it  un-
            likely  that  BRICS  will  develop  into
            a  traditional  alliance  or  a  unified
            anti-Western bloc. That should not
            necessarily  be  regarded  as  a  weak-
            ness. The grouping’s value may lie
            precisely in its ability to bring togeth-
            er countries that disagree on many
            issues but share an interest in greater
            autonomy from established centres
            of power.
                This  makes  consensus  particu-
            larly  important. India  has empha-
            sised dialogue and diplomacy during
            its chairmanship, recognising that an
            expanded BRICS cannot function
            through ideological uniformity. The
            New Delhi summit will therefore be
            as much about managing differences
            as producing ambitious declarations.
                The real test will be whether the    Union Minister Bhupender Yadav with heads of delegations of BRICS member countries during the launch of the Compendiums of the Environment
            members can identify areas where     Working Group at the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting under India’s BRICS 2026 Chairship, in New Delhi (@byadavbjp X/ANI Photo)
            their interests genuinely converge.

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