BRICS@20: Why India’s 2026 Chairship Matters for the Global South

BRICS@20 marks two decades of cooperation among emerging economies. Explore India’s 2026 BRICS chairship, Global South priorities, expansion, challenges and its role in shaping a multipolar world order.

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BRICS@20: BRICS has evolved significantly since its early years as a grouping of major emerging economies. At its 20th anniversary, the grouping is larger, more diverse and operating in a far more complex geopolitical environment.

For India, its 2026 BRICS chairship comes at a critical juncture. The agenda has moved beyond managing individual crises towards building resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability across economies and institutions.

The central challenge is therefore not merely to expand BRICS’ influence, but to transform it into a practical engine of development and cooperation for the Global South.

BRICS@20: From a Small Group to a Larger Global Platform

BRICS began as a grouping of five countries and has expanded to 11 members. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia have broadened its geographical, demographic and economic reach.

This expansion brings together countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, including major energy producers, manufacturing centres and large consumer markets.

Significance of Expansion

The expanded BRICS can potentially:

Increase the collective voice of developing economies.
Strengthen South-South cooperation.
Promote cooperation in energy, trade, finance and technology.
Create opportunities for greater representation of the Global South.
Provide alternative platforms for economic and development cooperation.

However, expansion has also increased the diversity of interests within the grouping, making consensus more difficult.

From Pandemic Resilience to Systemic Resilience

One of the clearest indicators of BRICS’ changing agenda is the evolving meaning of resilience.

During India’s 2021 chairship, resilience was primarily associated with managing the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining economic activity, addressing public-health challenges and supporting recovery.

By 2026, the concept has become much broader. Pandemic-related disruptions, supply-chain vulnerabilities, geopolitical tensions, energy crises and technological changes have demonstrated how interconnected modern economies are.

Thus, resilience today means developing systems capable of absorbing multiple and interconnected shocks.

Why India’s 2026 Chairship Matters

India’s fourth BRICS chairship comes at a fundamentally different moment from its previous chairship.

Its 2026 framework is built around four interconnected pillars:

1. Resilience

India seeks to strengthen the capacity of economies and societies to withstand external shocks, particularly in areas such as supply chains, energy and finance.

2. Innovation

Technological change has become central to development. Unlike in 2021, Artificial Intelligence and its governance have emerged as important areas of BRICS cooperation.

3. Cooperation

With an expanded membership and divergent strategic interests, maintaining dialogue becomes essential. BRICS can provide a platform where countries continue cooperating in areas of common interest despite geopolitical disagreements.

4. Sustainability

Sustainable development, climate resilience and the energy transition are increasingly linked with long-term economic security.

Together, these pillars represent a shift from responding to isolated crises towards building systems capable of managing interconnected risks.

BRICS and the Global South

A major strategic importance of BRICS lies in its potential to amplify the voice of the Global South.

Many global institutions continue to reflect the political and economic realities of the post-Second World War period. Developing countries therefore seek greater representation and influence in global decision-making.

BRICS can contribute by providing a platform for:

Reform of global governance institutions.
Greater representation for developing economies.
South-South economic cooperation.
Development-oriented technology cooperation.
Energy and food security.
Financial and digital cooperation.

Importantly, the grouping’s value does not necessarily depend on complete strategic alignment among its members. Its ability to keep dialogue open among countries with different interests can itself be strategically significant.

Major Challenges Before BRICS

1. Divergent Strategic Interests

The expanded membership brings countries with different foreign-policy priorities and regional interests into the same framework. This can complicate consensus-building.

2. Geopolitical Conflicts

Regional tensions among members can make it difficult for BRICS to adopt common positions on sensitive international issues.

3. Risk of Becoming an Anti-Western Bloc

For BRICS to remain relevant, it needs to avoid being viewed simply as an anti-Western counterweight. Its credibility will depend more on delivering practical cooperation and development outcomes.

4. Managing Expansion

A larger membership creates greater economic opportunities but also increases the complexity of decision-making.

5. Converting Declarations into Outcomes

The long-term credibility of BRICS will depend on whether broad commitments can translate into concrete cooperation in finance, technology, energy, trade and sustainable development.

India’s Strategic Opportunity

India can use its chairship to promote a balanced approach based on strategic autonomy and issue-based cooperation.

Rather than framing BRICS as an alternative to the existing global system, India can push for reforms that make global governance more representative, inclusive and responsive to developing-country concerns.

At the same time, practical cooperation in supply chains, energy, digital technology, finance and sustainability can create tangible benefits for member states.

Way Forward

For BRICS to become a meaningful pillar of a multipolar world order, it should focus on:

Strengthening institutional mechanisms for consensus-building.
Deepening economic cooperation beyond political declarations.
Building resilient supply chains and reducing excessive vulnerabilities.
Promoting responsible and inclusive AI governance.
Enhancing energy and food security.
Expanding development and financial cooperation.
Maintaining dialogue despite geopolitical differences.
Strengthening the representation of the Global South in international institutions.

Conclusion

BRICS@20 is not simply a story of expansion; it is a test of whether diversity can be converted into effective cooperation.

India’s 2026 chairship provides an opportunity to move BRICS from a predominantly declaratory platform towards a more practical, development-oriented and resilient institution.

Its success will ultimately depend on whether the grouping can balance divergent national interests while delivering cooperation on shared challenges. If BRICS can combine resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, it can strengthen the agency of the Global South and contribute to a more representative and multipolar global order.