India hosts the 18th BRICS summit in Delhi, balancing the interests of original and new members while navigating internal geopolitical tensions.
Key facts
- •The 18th BRICS summit is being held in Delhi, India, with a new slogan designed to unify original and new members.
- •New members of the bloc include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
- •BRICS members currently account for nearly 50% of the world's population and approximately 40% of global GDP.
- •Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- •Experts anticipate that the summit's concrete outcomes will be limited due to the group's internal contradictions and lack of coherence.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS summit in Delhi this weekend, introducing a new slogan, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," to accommodate both original and new members. While the bloc now includes 11 nations, experts note that India aims to keep the summit neutral and focused on practical cooperation rather than anti-Western rhetoric. The gathering serves as a platform for significant bilateral meetings, including discussions between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders from Russia and China.
By the numbers
Geopolitical Balancing and Bilateral Ties
India's leadership of the summit highlights its role as a bridge-builder between competing geopolitical camps. Despite the bloc's expansion, analysts suggest that India remains focused on trade and global governance reform rather than confrontational politics. The summit provides a venue for face-to-face talks between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid ongoing strains in regional relationships.
Challenges to Coherence and Consensus
The expansion of BRICS from five to 11 members has complicated the group's ability to reach consensus, with internal contradictions arising from a mix of democratic and autocratic systems and tense bilateral relations among members. While the bloc represents nearly half of the world's population and 40% of global GDP, experts remain skeptical about the potential for major outcomes. Discussions are expected to center on trade, monetary cooperation, and agriculture, with a focus on areas like WTO reform where members share common interests.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Deutsche Welle Business.
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