The correct measure of New Delhi’s BRICS presidency

Source: The Indian Express | Original Published At: 2026-08-26 08:06:37 UTC

Key Points

• BRICS now accounts for 45 percent of the world's population and 37 percent of global GDP on a purchasing power parity basis.
• The group's expansion has made consensus more difficult, as seen when BRICS foreign ministers failed to issue joint communiqués over Iran-UAE differences and UN Security Council reform language.
• The article argues that consensus should not be the main benchmark of BRICS success; delivery and practical cooperation matter more.
• It calls for strengthening the New Development Bank, building a BRICS technology cooperation exchange, expanding use of national currencies, and deepening energy and food-security cooperation.
• It urges BRICS to resist coercive trade measures, support international institutional reform, and adopt measurable targets, annual reviews, and transparent monitoring.
• The lasting legacy of India's presidency will be judged by whether its initiatives continue after China assumes the BRICS chair in 2027.