BRICS Summit Opens in New Delhi as Leaders Push for a Stronger Global South

The 18th BRICS Summit has officially begun in New Delhi, with leaders from the world's fastest-growing emerging economies arriving in India's capital for two days of high-level talks centred on global governance, trade, technology and geopolitical cooperation.

Hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi under India's rotating BRICS presidency, the summit brings together heads of state from the bloc's expanded membership, including China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is also attending as a special guest.

This year's gathering comes at a particularly delicate moment. Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, renewed great-power rivalry and growing pressure on global trade have exposed differences within BRICS even as the bloc seeks to present itself as a stronger voice for developing nations.

India has framed the summit around the theme of strengthening multilateralism and making global institutions more representative of today's economic realities. Discussions are expected to focus on reforming international financial institutions, expanding development financing, improving digital connectivity and enhancing cooperation in artificial intelligence and resilient supply chains.

One of the closely watched proposals is India's push to improve cross-border payments by linking central bank digital currency systems across BRICS members. Indian officials insist the initiative is designed to make international transactions faster and cheaper rather than replace the US dollar, distancing the proposal from broader narratives about creating a common BRICS currency.

Despite the ambitious agenda, diplomacy may prove just as important as economics. The presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping in India for the first time in seven years has raised expectations of further dialogue between Asia's two largest economies following recent efforts to stabilize their strained relationship. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also participating, while Iran's membership places the ongoing Middle East conflict firmly on the summit's agenda.

Analysts say the biggest challenge will be producing a consensus declaration that accommodates sharply differing positions within the enlarged grouping. Tensions between Iran and the UAE, alongside varying approaches to Western sanctions and regional conflicts, have complicated negotiations behind closed doors.

Originally founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009 before South Africa joined a year later, BRICS has expanded into an 11-member bloc representing nearly half of the world's population and roughly 40% of global economic output measured by purchasing power parity. Its rapid growth has increased its influence while also making internal coordination more complex.

For India, hosting the summit is an opportunity to reinforce its leadership among emerging economies while balancing strategic ties with both Western partners and fellow BRICS members. For the bloc as a whole, the New Delhi meeting is a test of whether its expanding membership can translate shared ambition into meaningful cooperation at a time when the global order is becoming increasingly fragmented.