BRICS: Too Big to Ignore, Too Divided to Rule

Source: Free Press Journal | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 07:40:33 UTC

Key Points

• New Delhi will host the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13, bringing together 11 full members and 10 partner countries.
• India's BRICS chairship theme is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," reflecting a people-centric approach.
• The expanded BRICS grouping has significant demographic and economic weight, with intra-BRICS merchandise trade crossing $1.17 trillion in 2024.
• The article highlights internal divisions, including strategic competition between India and China and rivalries involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
• India is promoting practical cooperation such as interoperability among digital payment systems rather than replacing the dollar outright.
• The central test for BRICS is whether diverse members can turn collective weight into useful cooperation in trade, finance, technology, development, and global governance.