BRICS Rising Power: Can It Really Challenge Western Dominance in the Global Power Balance?

Source: अमर उजाला | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 15:50:34 UTC

Key Points

• BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia, and represents nearly half the world's population.
• The group accounts for about 40% of global output on a purchasing-power basis, around 44% of global oil production and roughly one-quarter of world trade.
• Experts cited in the report say BRICS's success should be measured by whether it creates more options for Global South countries rather than by replacing Western institutions.
• BRICS has no common currency, common tariff system or collective defense obligation, and members have differing economic interests, security priorities and foreign policies.
• Efforts to reduce dependence on the US dollar remain early-stage, with some members promoting local-currency trade and alternative payment systems while the dollar still dominates trade and reserves.
• The New Development Bank and China's Belt and Road Initiative provide developing countries with alternatives to Western-led finance and investment, creating parallel channels rather than directly overturning the existing order.
• The 2024 expansion increased BRICS's influence and attracted interest from other countries, but more members also make common policy-making harder; the New Delhi summit is viewed as the next test of cohesion.