BRICS: Evolution, Cooperation and India’s 2026 Leadership

Why in News?

• India is scheduled to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026, during its fourth Chairship.
• The theme is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
• More than 350 meetings and high-level engagements across 25 cities have advanced cooperation in agriculture, health, energy, trade, technology and urban development.
• The initiatives emerging from ministerial meetings include both established cooperation platforms and proposals requiring further implementation.

What is BRICS?

• BRICS is a forum of major emerging economies and developing countries that coordinates positions on international issues and promotes practical cooperation.
• It seeks to strengthen the participation of the Global South in international decision-making. Its activities cover development, finance, security, technology, trade and cultural exchanges.

Global Importance

BRICS brings together countries with large populations, major markets, energy resources, agricultural capacity and technological capabilities.

The figures presented for the expanded grouping are:

• 49.5% of the global population.
• Around 40% of global GDP.
• 26% of global trade.

The GDP figure should be used with its measurement basis clearly identified; it should not automatically be interpreted as a share of nominal GDP.

Evolution and Expansion

From an Economic Acronym to a Cooperation Forum

• The term BRIC was introduced in 2001 by economist Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs in the paper “Building Better Global Economic BRICs.” It referred to Brazil, Russia, India and China, whose growing economic importance was expected to reshape the world economy.

Role of the 2008 Financial Crisis

The crisis exposed weaknesses in the global financial system. BRIC countries sought:

• Greater representation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
• A more balanced international financial architecture.
• Opposition to protectionism.
• Support for an open, rules-based multilateral trading system.

These shared positions helped establish the foundation for regular summit-level cooperation.

Full Members

• India’s September 2026 official listing identifies 11 BRICS members:
• Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
• The expansion process brought in countries from Africa and West Asia during 2024, followed by Indonesia in January 2025.

Partner Countries

• The Partner Country category provides structured engagement without granting full membership.
• The 10 partner countries identified during 2025 are:
• Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
• This wider network creates opportunities for cooperation in trade, finance, climate action and development across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eurasia.

Objectives and Areas of Cooperation

BRICS seeks a more representative and balanced international order while addressing the development needs of its members.

• Global Governance Reform: Greater representation and equity in institutions such as the IMF, World Bank and WTO.
• Inclusive Development: Sustainable economic growth, social inclusion and shared prosperity.
• Economic Cooperation: Trade, investment, agriculture, international finance and telecommunications.
• Security Cooperation: Counter-terrorism and dialogue on international and regional issues.
• Resource Security: Food security, energy security and climate resilience.
• Social Cooperation: Health, labour, employment, education, youth and cultural exchanges.

Three Pillars of BRICS Cooperation

1. Political and Security Cooperation
2. Economic and Financial Cooperation
3. Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges

Presidency and Financial Mechanisms

Rotating Chairship

The BRICS Chairship runs from January 1 to December 31.

The chair country:

• Sets annual priorities.
• Hosts the leaders’ summit.
• Coordinates ministerial and working-group meetings.
• Facilitates consensus and follow-up.

The traditional rotation followed the sequence of the original BRICS members. An updated rotation formula is being discussed following expansion.

New Development Bank

• The New Development Bank (NDB) mobilises resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects.
• India proposed examining such a bank at the 2012 New Delhi Summit. The agreement establishing it was signed at the 2014 Fortaleza Summit.

Contingent Reserve Arrangement

• The Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is intended to provide short-term liquidity support during external financial pressures.
• Key Distinction: The NDB finances development projects, whereas the CRA provides a financial safety mechanism against liquidity difficulties.

India’s Previous Chairships

India chaired BRICS in 2012, 2016 and 2021 before assuming the role in 2026.

2012: New Delhi Summit

• India hosted the Fourth BRICS Summit on March 29, 2012.
• Theme: “BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity.”
• The summit adopted the Delhi Declaration and an Action Plan.

Major Contributions

• Proposed exploring a development bank for infrastructure and sustainable development.
• Signed the Master Agreement on Extending Credit Facility in Local Currency to support intra-BRICS economic activity.
• Advanced discussions on financial cooperation and safety mechanisms.
• Strengthened cooperation in agriculture, health and science.
• Addressed governance reform, sustainable development, food security and energy security.

2016: Goa Summit

• India hosted the Eighth BRICS Summit in October 2016.
• Theme: “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions.”

Major Contributions

• Consolidated the NDB’s early operations, including its first loans, primarily supporting renewable-energy projects.
• Prioritised clean energy, energy access and energy security.
• Strengthened health cooperation on HIV and tuberculosis.
• Advanced counter-terrorism cooperation and adherence to FATF standards.
• Promoted cooperation through the Agriculture Research Platform, Railway Research Network, Sports Council and youth forums.

BRICS–BIMSTEC Outreach

• The outreach summit connected BRICS with the wider Bay of Bengal region. Discussions covered terrorism, trade, energy, investment, environment, technology and infrastructure.

2021: Virtual Summit

• India hosted the 13th BRICS Summit on September 9, 2021, marking the grouping’s 15th anniversary.
• Theme: “BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.”

Major Contributions

• Adoption of the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan.
• Organisation of the first BRICS Digital Health Summit.
• Agreement on the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation, supporting environmental protection, disaster management and climate monitoring.
• Advancement of vaccine research cooperation.
• Cooperation through the BRICS Alliance for Green Tourism and the first BRICS Water Ministers Meeting.

The BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre was endorsed during India’s 2021 Chairship and formally launched jointly on March 22, 2022.

Major Initiatives under India’s 2026 Chairship

India assumed the Chairship on January 1, 2026. Ministerial meetings have advanced the following initiatives.

1. Agriculture and Food-System Resilience

• BRICS Centres of Excellence on Agro-Ecology: Support joint research, knowledge exchange and capacity building in natural, organic and regenerative farming. Initial coordination is assigned to ICAR–Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram.
• BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture: Promotes AI-based decision support, geospatial intelligence, IoT monitoring and advanced data analytics. IIT Delhi is the initial coordinating institution.
• BRICS AGRIN: The Agro-Inputs, Genetic Resources and Information Network is a voluntary, farmer-centred framework for cooperation in seeds, germplasm and agricultural inputs.

2. Preventive Healthcare

• The BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle, accompanied by a 2026–2029 roadmap, promotes prevention of obesity and other non-communicable diseases.
• It supports technical cooperation, knowledge exchange and coordinated awareness across different stages of life.

3. Traditional and Integrative Medicine

The Expert Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) provides a platform for:

• Policy dialogue and evidence-based research.
• Capacity building and academic exchanges.
• Digital knowledge platforms.
• Quality and regulatory standards.
• Protection of traditional and indigenous knowledge.

4. Mental Health Cooperation

• A BRICS Training Hub Network and Network of Centres of Excellence, coordinated by NIMHANS, India, seek to strengthen mental-health services.
• Their priorities include professional upskilling, standardised training, task-sharing and integration of mental well-being into primary healthcare.

5. Traditional Knowledge and Climate Adaptation

Members adopted principles supporting:

• People-centred and community-based climate adaptation.
• Academic collaboration on traditional and indigenous knowledge systems.

These initiatives recognise the contribution of local knowledge to climate resilience.

6. Sustainable Lifestyles

A Network of BRICS Institutions and Sustainable Lifestyles Week support:

• Sharing policies and practical experiences.
• Research and innovation.
• Capacity-building workshops.
• Dialogue among academic institutions and other stakeholders.
• Compilation of case studies.

7. Employment and Skills: BRICS CONNECT

BRICS CONNECT means Cooperation Network for Capacity Building, Employability, and New Skills and Technologies.

Building on the BRICS Virtual Liaison Office, it covers four areas:

• Social-security capacity building.
• Women’s participation in the workforce.
• Skills and employability.
• Digital Public Infrastructure.

Participation is voluntary and non-binding.

8. Smart Grids and Energy Storage

The BRICS Guiding Principles on Energy Storage and Smart Grids and a Digital Centre of Excellence support:

• Knowledge sharing and technical training.
• Exchange of policy and regulatory practices.
• Pilot initiatives.

Smart grids and storage can help electricity systems manage renewable-energy generation and changing demand.

9. Sustainable Urban Development

• BRICS Urban Mobility Hub: A virtual platform for knowledge exchange, capacity building and technical cooperation in sustainable transport.
• Voluntary Principles for Climate-Resilient Urban Infrastructure: Integrate climate and disaster risks into planning, design, investment, construction and maintenance.
• Urban Research and Knowledge Network: Encourages applied research, cross-country learning and institutional collaboration.

10. MSME Cooperation

The BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal connects enterprises, technology centres, clusters, trade associations, financial institutions, training bodies and policymakers.

It is supported by:

• An institutionalised Dialogue on MSME Finance.
• A Workplan on the Internationalisation of MSMEs.

Together, these initiatives aim to improve access to finance and overseas markets.

11. Start-ups and Innovation

• BRICS Incubator Network: Connects national nodal agencies, selected incubators and start-ups. It enables enterprise registration, institutional linkages and referrals across countries.
• BRICS Startup Innovation Fund: Intended to support early- and growth-stage enterprises.
• BRICS Science and Research Repository: Provides a structured platform for storing and sharing scientific knowledge.

12. Logistics and Supply Chains

The BRICS Logistics Supply-Chain Cooperation Framework is voluntary and consensus-based.

It addresses fragmented supply chains and weak connectivity through:

• Technical exchange on cargo and shipping services.
• Knowledge sharing on local assembly and manufacturing.
• Capacity building.
• Environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient logistics.

13. Global Value Chains

• The GVC Action Plan, 2026–2030, includes a Technical Council and Joint Study.
• Its objectives are to improve production-network resilience, efficiency and productivity, while supporting market opening and economic diversification.
• A global value chain involves different stages of producing a good or service taking place across countries.

14. Customs Cooperation

Members expressed in-principle approval and willingness to sign the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters.

It aims to:

• Accelerate legitimate trade.
• Reduce transaction costs.
• Strengthen border security.
• Improve the business environment.
• Address illicit trade.

In-principle approval is distinct from signing or bringing an agreement into force.

15. Standardisation

• An MoU signed by BRICS National Standards Body Heads supports cooperation in developing, adopting and implementing standards.
• It also promotes information exchange, technical training and quality infrastructure, helping protect consumers and reduce technical barriers to trade.

16. Youth Cooperation

• The BRICS Youth Cooperation Framework, 2026, provides a reference for continuity and structured engagement under the youth track.
• It supports dialogue, experience sharing and consideration of practical initiatives.

17. Sports Technology

• A new Sports Technology Working Group promotes the exchange of good practices, institutional experience, technical information and research.

Significance for India and the Global South

• Reformed Multilateralism: BRICS provides a collective platform to seek more representative global institutions.
• Development Cooperation: Agriculture, health, skills and infrastructure initiatives connect diplomacy with everyday development needs.
• Economic Opportunities: MSME and start-up networks can improve market access, research links and business collaboration.
• Climate and Energy Resilience: Cooperation supports sustainable infrastructure, energy transitions and adaptation.
• India’s Leadership: India can build consensus among diverse members and share experience in digital systems, skills and public-service delivery.
• South–South Exchange: Members and partners can learn from each other’s development approaches.

Challenges

• Divergent Interests: Different strategic priorities and economic structures can make consensus difficult.
• Implementation Gaps: Announcements need finance, staff, institutional responsibilities and sustained follow-up.
• Unequal Capacities: Some members may need additional support to participate in advanced technology and research programmes.
• Coordination Complexity: Expansion increases the need for clear arrangements on chairship rotation and partner engagement.
• Global Uncertainty: Economic fragmentation, geopolitical tensions, technological disruption and climate pressures can affect cooperation.

Way Forward

• Prioritise Practical Outcomes: Focus on initiatives with clear development benefits and realistic timelines.
• Ensure Institutional Continuity: Carry agreed projects forward across successive chairships.
• Strengthen Capacity Building: Enable less-resourced participants to benefit from cooperation.
• Clarify Implementation Status: Distinguish proposals, agreements, launched platforms and operational programmes.
• Review Results: Assess outcomes in trade, skills, research, public services and resilience.

Conclusion

BRICS has evolved into a broad platform for cooperation among emerging economies. India’s 2026 Chairship seeks to convert wider representation into meaningful development outcomes. Effective implementation and sustained consensus will determine its contribution to global governance. A practical and inclusive approach can strengthen South–South cooperation and sustainable development.