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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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