Harnessing BRICS ‘POWER’ to Empower the World

UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 2- International Relations

Introduction

BRICS has evolved from an emerging-economy platform into a wider Global South forum with growing economic and political weight. Its 20th anniversary comes amid geopolitical conflicts, trade disruptions, energy insecurity and pressure on multilateral institutions. India’s 2026 presidency therefore seeks to use BRICS cooperation to build a more resilient, innovative, cooperative and sustainable global order.

For detailed information on BRICS – Significance & Challenges – Explained Pointwise read this article here

BRICS and India’s 2026 Presidency: Setting the Context

1. BRICS as a Global South platform: BRICS has emerged as an important force for world peace, development and cooperation among emerging economies, with a growing role in global affairs.
2. India’s 2026 presidency: India is holding the BRICS rotating presidency in 2026, with the 18th BRICS Summit scheduled in New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026.
3. Geopolitical context: Rising geopolitical conflicts, economic disruptions, energy insecurity and supply-chain pressures have increased the need for stronger cooperation among BRICS members.
4. India’s presidency theme: India has adopted “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”to guide BRICS cooperation during a period of global uncertainty.
5. Global South priorities: BRICS aims to strengthen the voice and interests of developing countries while promoting greater cooperation in a changing multipolar world.

Harnessing BRICS “POWER”: Five Pillars for Global Cooperation

1. P – Principle:

• International norms: BRICS should uphold the UN Charter, sovereign equality, non-interference and peaceful settlement of disputes amid rising geopolitical tensions.
• Peaceful global order: BRICS should resist hegemonism and power politics and support international relations based on established principles rather than domination.

2. O – Openness:

• Multilateral trade: BRICS should protect the WTO-centred multilateral trading system, including most-favoured-nation treatment, while resisting protectionism and tariff barriers.
• Open supply chains: Cooperation in energy, minerals, infrastructure and industrial supply chains can support an open and stable global economy.

3. W – Win-Win:

• Development-centred cooperation: BRICS should keep development at the centre and accelerate implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Economic and financial cooperation: Greater macroeconomic coordination, trade facilitation, local-currency payments and cross-border payments can strengthen mutual economic benefits.
• Food and energy security: BRICS should develop resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems to address global food and energy challenges.

4. E – Engine:

• Economic potential: BRICS accounts for nearly half of global population, around 30% of global economic output and one-fifth of global trade, giving it major growth potential.
• New growth areas: Cooperation in the digital economy, smart manufacturing and new industrialisation can use members’ economic and technological strengths.
• AI cooperation: Integrating AI with science, health, agriculture and education can create new sources of growth and development.

5. R – Responsibility:

• Global responsibility: BRICS should promote peace, development, fairness and justice while strengthening unity and cooperation among developing countries.
• India-China coordination: With India and China holding successive BRICS presidencies, sound coordination can support the steady progress of greater BRICS cooperation.
• Bilateral cooperation: Resumption of five direct flight routes and reopening of border trade after six years provide a positive basis for stronger India-China engagement.

Challenges Before an Expanded BRICS

1. Strategic differences: India stresses strategic autonomy and multilateral reform, while China and Russia can view an expanded BRICS more strongly as a counterweight to Western influence.
2. India-China trade imbalance: Despite support for open trade, India faces a large structural trade deficit with China, alongside market-access barriers affecting sectors such as pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
3. Unresolved border tensions: Improvements in bilateral engagement remain vulnerable to unresolved LAC issues and trans-border river concerns, limiting the depth of India-China cooperation.
4. Financial integration limits: Local-currency settlement faces practical constraints from different capital controls, currency convertibility and financial-market structures across members.
5. BRICS+ cohesion: BRICS+ cohesion: Expansion beyond the original five members to countries across Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia has increased diversity in foreign-policy and economic priorities, complicating consensus.
6. Implementation challenge: BRICS must convert its growing economic and political weight into practical cooperation rather than broad commitments alone.

Way Forward

1. India-China coordination: India and China should use the 2026 New Delhi and 2027 Beijing summits to advance a common Global South development agenda while maintaining stable border management.
2. Independent payment infrastructure: BRICS should strengthen the New Development Bank and develop interoperable cross-border payment systems connecting national payment platforms and digital currencies.
3. Responsible technology governance: Members should create transparent and human-centric AI frameworks that support innovation while reducing technological concentration and the digital divide.
4. Critical supply-chain diversification: BRICS should develop reciprocal supply partnerships in renewable energy, fertilisers and critical minerals to reduce vulnerability to external export restrictions.
5. Economic cooperation: Members should deepen local-currency settlement, trade facilitation and investment cooperation while maintaining the WTO-based multilateral trading system.
6. Global institutional reform: BRICS should coordinate efforts to make institutions such as the IMF, World Bank and UN Security Council more representative of developing economies.
7. Issue-based cooperation: Given internal diversity, BRICS should focus on areas of shared interest instead of waiting for complete agreement on every geopolitical issue.
8. From declarations to delivery: The grouping should strengthen existing institutions and ensure that BRICS initiatives produce measurable economic, technological and developmental outcomes.

Conclusion

The real strength of BRICS lies in converting its economic weight, diverse membership and Global South representation into practical cooperation. By combining Principle, Openness, Win-Win development, economic Engine and Responsibility, BRICS can strengthen multilateralism and contribute to a more inclusive, resilient and representative global order.

Question for practice:

Discuss how BRICS can harness its “POWER” to strengthen global cooperation and empower the Global South.

Source: The Hindu