BRICS meets in India: What’s on the agenda, why it matters

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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting the yearly BRICS Summit opening contiguous successful the Indian capital, New Delhi, which has been decked retired successful BRICS-themed signs and illuminated buildings and roundabouts.

More than a twelve satellite leaders are attending the 18th yearly acme of the bloc, which is progressively viewed arsenic a counterweight to economical alliances dominated by wealthier Western nations.

What is BRICS?

BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The informal trading bloc was formed successful 2006, and Brazil, Russia, India and China convened for the archetypal BRIC acme successful 2009. South Africa joined a twelvemonth later.

In 2023, BRICS extended invitations to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates aft these countries applied for membership.

An invitation was extended to Argentina astatine the aforesaid time, but the South American country turned it down after President Javier Milei, elected successful December, campaigned connected the committedness that helium would bolster ties with the West.

Indonesia joined the bloc successful 2025.

Currently, BRICS represents 11 subordinate countries, accounting for astir 49 percent of the world’s colonisation and astir 40 percent of the world’s gross home merchandise (GDP).

The wide purpose of the confederation of governments is to situation the economical and governmental monopoly of the West. The radical sets priorities and holds discussions astatine a acme erstwhile a year, which members instrumentality turns hosting. This year’s acme is the 18th to beryllium held.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their bilateral gathering earlier BRICS Summit successful New Delhi, India, connected September 11, 2026

Who is attending this year’s summit?

BRICS subordinate countries are astir represented by their apical leaders, including the big – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Of the archetypal 5 members, lone Brazil did not nonstop its person – President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is tied up with section elections, and Brazil volition beryllium represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.

Most newer members volition beryllium likewise represented:

Iran is represented by President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Egypt is represented by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Ethiopia is represented by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Indonesia is represented by President Prabowo Subianto.

While some the UAE and Saudi Arabia sent different members of government:

Saudi Arabia is represented by Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
The UAE is represented by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Other satellite leaders attending the acme include:

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Le Minh Hung
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima
Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye
Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla
Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo
Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the World Health Organisation’s main Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the World Trade Organisation’s Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are among leaders of planetary organisations who are besides attending the summit.

What’s connected the agenda?

The cardinal taxable of BRICS is members’ tendency to propulsion backmost against the planetary dominance of Western-led institutions, particularly erstwhile it comes to economical matters.

This year, with India hosting the summit, the theme is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability”, according to New Delhi’s BRICS presidency documents.

Strengthening economies amid sanctions

This year’s acme volition absorption connected strengthening members’ economies done trade, vigor cooperation, and sharing cognition astir artificial quality (AI) and technology.

Alicia García-Herrero, main economist for Asia Pacific astatine Natixis, the French fiscal services group, said leaders volition besides sermon modes of cross-border payments amid Western sanctions connected BRICS members Russia and Iran.

“But they volition not effort to substitute the dollar,” she told Al Jazeera.

Russia volition clasp discussions with different BRICS spouse countries connected conducting commercialized settlements successful integer currencies astatine a acme this week successful New Delhi, the Kremlin said connected Thursday.

“These issues, which BRICS leaders volition discuss, are benignant of superior issues which tin unafraid proviso chains and de-risk them amid ongoing conflicts successful the world,” Manoj Kewalramani, chairperson of Bengaluru-based deliberation vessel Takshashila Institution’s Geostrategy Programme, told Al Jazeera.

US and Israel’s warfare connected Iran

This year’s acme comes conscionable much than six months since the US and Israel’s warfare connected Iran began. In May, a BRICS overseas ministers’ gathering failed to jointly condemn the warfare connected Iran.

Pezeshkian, who volition beryllium astatine the summit, is expected to sermon the war. It is his archetypal sojourn to India arsenic Iranian president and besides marks the archetypal sojourn by an Iranian president to the subcontinent successful 8 years.

“Iran is simply a BRICS subordinate and the struggle has been straight affecting commercialized routes and vigor entree and market, which is having planetary economical impact,” Alejandro Reyes, adjunct prof successful the Department of Politics and Public Administration astatine the University of Hong Kong, said.

But, helium said, the confrontation betwixt Iran and BRICS subordinate UAE successful the discourse of the warfare volition marque reaching communal connection connected the struggle hard for subordinate nations.

Since the US and Israel’s warfare connected Iran began, Tehran has retaliated by targeting US subject assets and civilian infrastructure crossed the Gulf, including successful the UAE. So far, Iranian strikes person killed 15 radical successful the UAE, including 2 subject personnel, 1 civilian contractor and 12 different civilians. The UAE besides announced an indefinite commercialized embargo successful Iran successful August.

Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine

BRICS leaders are besides apt to sermon bloc subordinate Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine.

According to Kewalramani, however, the alliance’s leaders person been talking astir Moscow’s actions successful Kyiv for a fewer years already, and this year, helium thinks they volition fundamentally beryllium talking astir however each BRICS members’ morganatic interests astir the warfare could beryllium addressed jointly.

In the July 2025 associated declaration issued astatine the 17th acme successful Rio de Janeiro, BRICS leaders avoided criticising Russia for its warfare connected Ukraine and alternatively condemned Kyiv’s attacks connected Russia.

“I don’t deliberation the BRICS communal connection connected the warfare this twelvemonth volition beryllium problematic, fixed that the Americans and the Russians are talking close now,” Kewalramani added.

Earlier this month, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with Putin successful Moscow, successful what appears to beryllium caller efforts by the Trump medication to extremity the Russia-Ukraine war.

Their sojourn came aft US President Donald Trump said the envoys were bringing “a connection to extremity the war” – Europe’s deadliest struggle since World War II – and a elder ⁠⁠Russian ⁠⁠official said it was an “important peacemaking visit”.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi arrives to be the BRICS Summit successful New Delhi, India, connected September 11, 2026

What’s important astir this year’s summit?

Ian Lesser, distinguished chap astatine the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told Al Jazeera that against the backdrop of an progressively fraught narration with Europe and the US, the BRICS acme volition supply Russian President Putin with an accidental to show ties to starring countries successful the Global South.

“It besides offers an accidental for Russia and China to exploit the tendency of galore countries to hedge against uncertain commercialized and information policies emanating from Washington,” helium said.

This acme is besides important due to the fact that of its timing: conscionable earlier the 2nd China-US acme of the year. Xi Jinping is expected to conscionable Donald Trump for a authorities sojourn connected September 24.

Retired Senior Colonel Zhou Bo of the People’s Liberation Army told Al Jazeera that, portion BRICS leaders gathering is thing caller and is portion of their yearly acme schedules, this year, the information that China’s President Xi Jinping is going to India aft 7 years is significant.

“The narration betwixt Beijing and New Delhi has been frosty. So this acme is simply a bully accidental for President Xi and Prime Minister Modi to resoluteness differences,” helium said.

Looking astatine the bigger picture, helium said the BRICS Summit this twelvemonth signals that the satellite bid is changing amid the ongoing wars and economical challenges.

“So for BRICS successful the future, determination are immoderate issues to tackle. One, which was brought up by BRICS subordinate Brazil, is however the countries successful the bloc could gradually commercialized successful different currency and not the dollar. But that is not realistic considering determination are economical disparities betwixt BRICS countries,” helium said.

“The 2nd contented is however this organisation could play a bigger relation successful planetary geopolitics. Right now, large BRICS powers are progressive successful wars and uncovering connection to remark connected the wars, which is suitable for each BRICS members is going to beryllium challenging,” helium added.

What are the main divisions among BRICS nations?

According to analysts, determination are important differences among BRICS members regarding geopolitical issues, particularly aft the alliance’s caller expansion.

Iran war

This year’s acme comes amid an ongoing rift betwixt BRICS members Iran and UAE implicit the warfare successful the Middle East. Meanwhile, India’s presumption connected the warfare is besides delicate, with New Delhi balancing cordial relations with some Iran and Israel, but besides being cautious not to upset ties with Washington.

According to Kewalramani, the confederation volition purpose to code the warfare without naming countries.

“I would beryllium amazed if they sanction the US and Israel. They volition apt find a authorities of compromise and get astatine a connection connected the warfare astir the themes of sovereignty, territorial integrity of each countries and respecting morganatic interests and concerns,” helium said.

Yemen conflict

Tensions betwixt Iran and chap BRICS subordinate Saudi Arabia person likewise been brewing arsenic Iran-backed Houthi forces successful Yemen motorboat drones and missiles targeting vigor facilities and different infrastructure successful Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia besides backs the internationally recognised authorities of Yemen that the Houthis are fighting, which mislaid power of the full of Yemen’s Red Sea seashore this week – including the strategically captious Bab al-Mandeb strait.

In July, Yemen authorities forces struck the planetary airdrome of Sanaa, which is held by the Houthis, to forestall craft they said were carrying Iranian weapons from landing.

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke to his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan connected Thursday nighttime astir “the escalation of tensions and the increasing insecurity successful the region”, according to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry added that the 2 nations person “emphasised the request to proceed practice and diplomatic efforts to forestall the dispersed of tensions and reestablish stability”.

India-China tensions

Ties betwixt the 2 Asian giants person been tense since a deadly subject borderline clash successful the Himalayas successful 2020.

Relations person been warming recently, but heavy mistrust remains implicit their contested frontier and a widening commercialized deficit, and their strategical rivalry inactive complicates ties.

Retired Colonel Bo said that China wants to presumption itself arsenic the starring dependable of the Global South astatine BRICS Summits. But helium noted that immoderate countries, including India, bash not see Beijing to beryllium portion of the Global South.

“A batch of different countries whitethorn accidental that China is present a planetary superpower,” helium said. “China has, however, said that it is simply a earthy subordinate of the Global South. So China would spot it firmly arsenic a Global South country, arsenic a processing state and speech astir things from this position astatine the summit.”

The intent of BRICS

Kewalramani said that portion India and China volition effort to resoluteness their issues bilaterally, frictions implicit the intent of BRICS volition persist.

“Beijing looks astatine the BRICS arsenic its premier instauration to mobilise the Global South for its ain interests, but besides successful presumption of their shared grievances with regards to the West, peculiarly the US,” helium said.

“India looks astatine the BRICS structurally arsenic an entity that allows it to workout strategical autonomy, physique caller partnerships, which is non-Western but not anti-Western,” helium pointed retired and added that this quality is not going to vanish astatine this summit.

“Russia and China are comfy presenting BRICS arsenic a counterweight to American and Western power, but India and respective different members are overmuch little funny successful casting the organisation arsenic an anti-Western alliance,” Reyes said.

Reyes said, however, the confederation is not meant to beryllium similar NATO oregon the EU wherever each subordinate needs to hold connected each geopolitical question for it to stay useful.

“The BRICS bring unneurotic countries that disagree with 1 different but stock an involvement successful having greater country for manoeuvre internationally. It’s a radical that bespeaks the thought of multipolarity arsenic agency,” helium said.

‘The existent question is not whether the BRICS tin execute unity, which gets asked each clip it meets. The amended question is whether it tin negociate disagreement portion inactive pursuing applicable cooperation,” Reyes added.

Should the West beryllium worried?

As portion of his unilateral overseas argumentation vision, Trump has some undermined the Western-led planetary bid and lashed retired astatine Global South blocs, specified arsenic BRICS, which helium sees arsenic a menace to the US’s economical dominance. He has called the grouping “anti-American”.

Retired Colonel Bo said that astir Western leaders bash not presumption Global South forums arsenic anti-Western clubs. “But successful the changing satellite order, which is reflected successful multipolarity, they would ticker these summits with large interest,” helium added.

Reyes said Washington and the West should not beryllium peculiarly acrophobic that BRICS is becoming a unified anti-US confederation oregon that its members volition someway technologist a toppling of the US dollar.

He noted that adjacent Russia has said precocious that it is not pursuing outright “de-dollarisation”. The members person antithetic economical and strategical interests.

“What should substance to the US is wherefore truthful galore important countries privation the BRICS to beryllium and expand. They privation much choices. They privation greater power implicit planetary institutions. They privation alternate financing and outgo channels. And much and more, they privation to insulate themselves from supply-chain disruption, sanctions, tariffs oregon governmental unit emanating from immoderate 1 large power,” helium said.

He added that currently, those disruptions, coercions and accent are chiefly coming from the US.

“So the deeper connection for Washington is that, if the US treats each effort astatine strategical autonomy arsenic hostility, it whitethorn really fortify the forces driving countries towards the BRICS,” helium said.

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