What Is BRICS? Full History and India’s Role

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Cooperation areas

Source: प्रभात खबर | Original Published At: 2026-09-10 10:09:37 UTC

BRICS is a cooperation platform for Global South countries aimed at strengthening economic, political and diplomatic cooperation and developing countries' voice in global institutions.
BRICS originated as BRIC with Brazil, Russia, India and China; the term was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill, and joint work began in 2006.
The first BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009; South Africa joined in 2010 and first attended a BRICS summit in 2011.
The 2023 Johannesburg summit decided on expansion, adding Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while Indonesia became the 11th full member in 2025.
India is a founding member, has chaired BRICS in 2012, 2016 and 2021, and the article states it is set to assume the chairmanship in 2026.
The article presents BRICS as a rotating coordination platform rather than a formal international organization with a founding treaty, budget or permanent secretariat.