Bigger BRICS Test Now: Turning Global South Weight into Influence

Source: The New Indian Express | Original Published At: 2026-09-13 18:32:00 UTC

Key Points

• The New Delhi Declaration was adopted after marathon negotiations and represents a diplomatic win for India's BRICS presidency.
• Despite differences over West Asia, BRICS members found common ground on restraint, civilian protection, sovereignty, diplomacy, and nuclear safety.
• The declaration reasserts BRICS' ambition to reshape global governance, amplify the Global South, and deepen cooperation in finance, trade, technology, and development.
• BRICS' credibility will increasingly depend on building institutions that deliver practical gains, including cross-border payments, local-currency use, development finance, and financial safety nets.
• Technology cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, and standards is described as an acid test for BRICS.
• The article argues that BRICS influence will come from demonstrating that a more multipolar world can be stable, representative, and capable of solving problems, rather than merely positioning itself against the West.