India’s BRICS moment comes as the bloc grows bigger

India is set to host its fourth BRICS Summit, amidst a rapidly evolving global landscape and economic challenges. Professor Srikanth Kondapalli, a prominent foreign affairs expert from Jawaharlal Nehru University, has praised India's leadership in driving the bloc towards a more decentralized and results-oriented development agenda. The 18th BRICS Summit will focus on agriculture, startups, climate financing, and artificial intelligence, aiming to shield the Global South from international shocks.

Kondapalli noted that India's previous presidencies have produced substantive outcomes, such as the establishment of the New Development Bank in 2016. He emphasized that India's agenda goes beyond top-level summits, encompassing business-to-business and civil society engagements. The professor highlighted the growing interest in BRICS, with six new member countries joining since 2009, bringing the total membership to 11, and an additional 10 partner countries.

However, Kondapalli warned that unchecked expansion could hinder consensus-building and institutionalization. He stressed the need for a balance between expansion and cohesion, particularly for partner countries from Africa and South America, which possess significant regional significance and developing-country status.

The professor highlighted the significance of BRICS in providing solutions for the Global South, particularly in healthcare, literacy, and infrastructure. He pointed to the New Development Bank and the Contingency Reserve Fund as significant institutional achievements, emphasizing the need for even more financing to meet developing economies' infrastructure requirements.

As India assumes the BRICS Chairship for the fourth time in 2026, its theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability reflects a people-centric and humanity-first approach to navigating contemporary global challenges.