Leaders of the BRICS group are gathering in New Delhi this weekend for a summit that will test the expanded bloc’s ability to maintain unity as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, growing U.S.-China tensions and disruptions to global trade reshape the international order.

The 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sept. 12-13, brings together leaders from the bloc’s 11 member states, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

India, which holds the BRICS chairmanship this year, is seeking to use the summit to strengthen the group’s role as a platform for the Global South while maintaining its own strategic relationships with Russia and China alongside its growing partnerships with the United States and other Western countries.

India has chosen “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” as the theme of its 2026 BRICS presidency, with an emphasis on development, technology, energy and food security, resilient supply chains and stronger multilateral institutions.

Wars expose divisions within expanded BRICS

The geopolitical conflicts surrounding the summit are likely to pose one of the biggest tests of BRICS cohesion.

Iran’s war with the United States and Israel has added particular complexity. Iran is a BRICS member, while Russia has emerged as one of Tehran’s most important strategic partners. China also maintains close relations with Iran, whereas India has sought to preserve working relationships with Tehran, Moscow, Washington and European capitals.

The expanded bloc also includes Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose interests and positions on Middle Eastern conflicts do not always coincide with those of Iran.

Indian officials and BRICS negotiators have been working to bridge differences over language concerning the Middle East conflict. Reports indicate that reaching agreement on a joint declaration has proved challenging, highlighting the difficulty of finding common ground among the 11 members.

Ukraine presents another sensitive issue. Russia remains a founding BRICS member and one of the bloc’s most influential powers, while India and China have maintained positions that emphasize dialogue and diplomacy rather than aligning themselves with Western sanctions against Moscow.

India balances Russia, China and the West

For New Delhi, the summit is also an opportunity to demonstrate its policy of strategic autonomy.

India has maintained longstanding defense and energy ties with Russia while simultaneously expanding cooperation with Washington and other Western capitals. Modi and Putin held talks in New Delhi on Friday, discussing bilateral cooperation in trade, defense, energy, space and other areas, as well as their countries’ engagement within BRICS.

China will be equally important. Xi’s participation provides an opportunity for Modi and the Chinese leader to continue efforts to stabilize relations following years of tensions along their disputed Himalayan border.

Analysts say the summit comes at a time when India’s long-standing strategy of maintaining relationships with competing major powers has gained greater relevance amid intensifying rivalry between Washington and Beijing and continuing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.

BRICS seeks greater economic influence

Despite geopolitical differences, economic cooperation remains at the heart of the BRICS agenda.

The group now consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Together, the 11 members account for about 49.5% of the world's population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade, according to the Indian government.

Leaders are expected to discuss trade and investment, technology, food and energy security, critical supply chains, health and disaster resilience, as well as reforms to global governance. Proposals under consideration include greater cooperation on startups, logistics and supply-chain resilience.

The bloc has also continued discussions on reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar and expanding the use of national currencies in trade. At a BRICS business forum on Friday, Modi, Putin and Pezeshkian backed stronger economic cooperation, secure trade routes and wider use of local currencies.

From economic grouping to global political platform

BRICS has evolved considerably since it was established by Brazil, Russia, India and China, later adding South Africa and, more recently, six additional members.

Its expansion has increased its economic and demographic weight but has also made consensus more difficult. Members have different political systems, economic priorities and strategic interests, while India-China competition and divergent positions on conflicts in the Middle East and Europe continue to limit the bloc's ability to act as a unified geopolitical alliance.

Rather than becoming a formal military or political alliance, BRICS is increasingly positioning itself as a platform through which emerging and developing countries can push for a more representative international system.

The New Delhi summit will therefore be closely watched not only for what the leaders agree on, but also for whether the expanded grouping can translate its growing economic weight into coordinated positions on the major geopolitical crises confronting the world. (ILKHA)