Does BRICS have enough mortar to stick together?

Source: Malayala Manorama | Original Published At: 2026-09-17 06:08:38 UTC

Key Points

• The 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 was described as successful, with most of the 11 members and 10 partner countries represented at high level.
• India and China held a substantial bilateral meeting, with readouts indicating possible rapprochement, though their language on partnership and rivalry differed.
• The summit's Joint Statement used carefully worded formulations positioning BRICS as non-Western rather than anti-Western.
• Sixty new initiatives were launched under themes of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, but an institutional framework for implementation remains to be developed.
• BRICS trade in national currencies was reinforced, while dedollarisation was not championed by India or Russia at the summit.
• Brazil and India pushed for UN reform, and BRICS reached a consensus on reform without supporting permanent Security Council expansion with veto.
• Membership expansion is expected to pose a challenge, with calls for criteria to avoid affecting organizational structures.