India’s BRICS Transformation: From Economic Doubts to a Defining Global Voice
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Source: Free Press Journal | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 11:38:30 UTC
Key Points
- India is preparing to host an 11-member BRICS summit in New Delhi, highlighting its evolving role within the grouping since first chairing BRICS in 2012.
- During India’s 2012 BRICS chairship, slowing growth, high inflation, rupee pressure, and sovereign-rating warnings raised doubts about its economic standing.
- By 2026, India is portrayed as a key BRICS growth engine, with real GDP growth of 7.8% in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026-27.
- India’s sovereign strength improved after the Japan Credit Rating Agency upgraded its rating from BBB+ to A- with a stable outlook in September 2026.
- India’s strategic autonomy and middle-power diplomacy have gained importance amid intensifying US-China competition and geopolitical fragmentation.
- The New Delhi summit is expected to feature leaders including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, and the UAE’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
- The article frames India’s BRICS journey as a shift from seeking recognition within the emerging global order to influencing its direction.