How BRICS Went From Supporting Actor to Main-Character Energy

Source: Times of India | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 23:30:00 UTC

Key Points

• The article argues that BRICS has moved from a secondary role in a US-led global economic order to a central actor amid perceived US decline and the weaponisation of public goods.
• It states that intra-BRICS trade expanded more than 13-fold over two decades, compared with a doubling of intra-G-7 trade.
• It notes that the G-7 share of world merchandise imports fell from 45% in 2000 to 25% in 2025, while BRICS+ rose from 11% to 17%.
• The piece frames BRICS as a platform for emerging economies to co-create rules, norms, and public goods for a more multipolar world.
• It highlights China, India, and Iran as examples of BRICS members playing different roles in sustaining stability, interdependence, and resistance to external pressure.
• The article warns against dismissing BRICS as merely a talk shop and links its success to avoiding neo-colonial patterns and reckless geopolitical competition.