With India as host, here are better goals for BRICS than ‘confronting the West’

In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China united as BRIC, with the intention of becoming future engines of global growth. The grouping expanded in 2010 with South Africa and dramatically in 2024 with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, making it an eleven-member entity. By 2024, BRICS represented roughly 36.8% of global GDP (Purchasing Power Parity), compared to the G7's 29%.

It also held a quarter of global trade, with intra-BRICS merchandise trade reaching $1.17 trillion in 2024. The grouping now accounts for 78.2% of global mineral coal production and is projected to average 3.8% growth in 2025 and 3.7% in 2026, outpacing the G7's average. However, the per-capita GDP shows a significant disparity, with the G7 averaging $53,000 and BRICS around $8,200.

Despite its economic weight, BRICS' appeal is driven by its population and resource scale, not individual prosperity. Initially a foreign ministers' dialogue, BRICS evolved into a leaders' forum, with the first summit held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. Over time, it has transformed from an economic grouping into a geopolitical entity, increasingly asserting itself as a voice of the Global South.