BRICS New Delhi Declaration – Persuasion Works, Not Pressure

Source: Times of India | Original Published At: 2026-09-29 05:52:00 UTC

Key Points

• India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi and helped achieve consensus on the New Delhi Declaration 2026.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said BRICS is not against anybody and aims to take countries forward together.
• BRICS expansion since 2024 added six new members, offering strategic autonomy and greater diplomatic leverage through multi-alignment.
• The article argues that trade settlement in national currencies is more practical than creating a BRICS currency, citing India-UAE and India-Russia examples.
• India used the summit to urge members to keep trade, supply chains, and energy flowing amid ongoing conflicts.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met on the margins of the summit.
• The BRICS Business Council is highlighted as a platform for economies representing large shares of global population, trade, GDP, and foreign direct investment.