Explainer: How India is Steering the Global South’s Coalition

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Cooperation areas

Source: The Financial Express | Original Published At: 2026-09-10 17:41:22 UTC

BRICS is an informal, consensus-based grouping focused on South-South cooperation, fair trade, sustainable development, technological independence, and a multipolar international order.
Key BRICS institutional achievements include the New Development Bank, the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, growing use of national currencies in trade settlements, and advocacy for reforms in global economic institutions.
India’s 2026 BRICS chairmanship theme is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” with more than 350 meetings held across over 25 Indian cities.
The New Delhi summit agenda includes protecting member economies from supply shocks, healthcare weaknesses, and energy disruptions, while shaping cooperation on critical minerals, digital connectivity, and AI governance.
BRICS seeks to establish a Digital Public Infrastructure Repository to promote technology transfer and open-source innovation.
India’s stated goal is to demonstrate that an enlarged BRICS can navigate geopolitical turmoil and deliver tangible economic benefits to member countries.