Introduction
The BRICS Summit in New Delhi not only underscored the alliance's significance but also exposed the intricate political dynamics among its members, serving as a stark reminder of the complexities involved. The summit, which was chaired by India and took place on September 12-13, was attended by a larger number of emerging economies amid the high geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
The New Delhi Declaration was unanimously adopted, even in the face of significant differences over the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. The declaration urged “restraint, diplomacy, and respect for international law"; it refrained from directly condemning any country in the dispute over Iran. It also condemned unilateral tariffs and sanctions, without identifying the United States.
The summit was also a chance for India to showcase BRICS as a positive organization for the Global South, instead of an organization formed just to challenge the Western powers. In the international system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for developing nations to act as “rule shapers” rather than “rule takers."
The result thus provides an insightful glimpse into the trajectory of BRICS: enhanced economic engagement, increased pressure for reform of global institutions, and attempts at unity in the face of considerable differences among its members.
What is BRICS, and why is the 2026 Summit important?
BRICS was started as BRIC, which consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. It is known as the BRICS group since South Africa joined in 2010. The group has since grown, and the 2026 grouping now comprises 11 members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
India's government says that about 49.5% of the world's population, 40% of its GDP, and 26% of its trade take place in the expanded bloc.
This economic and demographic influence is the reason why the BRICS Summit 2026 garnered a lot of global interest.
BRICS has been a long-term advocate of the need for a more influential role for emerging economies in institutions like the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. It believes that the international system should take into account developing countries' economic and political power more.
India's chairship for 2026 was around the theme of "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability." Development, sustainable development, innovation, and real cooperation between Global South countries were put on the agenda.
The New Delhi Declaration and the BRICS Summit 2026
The most important immediate outcome was the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration.
The declaration reiterated the principles of BRICS—mutual respect, sovereign equality, solidarity, inclusiveness, cooperation, and consensus. It also highlighted cooperation in three main categories—political and security affairs, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people relations.
It's a declaration that's important because it came about even though there was some serious disagreement within the membership.
Countries with conflicting strategic interests are now part of BRICS. For instance, Iran and the UAE have different views on the Middle East issue. The Indian and Chinese strategic differences are yet to be resolved, and the philosophies of Russia and Western countries on Ukraine are severely divided.
The value of BRICS as a diplomatic forum was illustrated by the ability of the members to come up with a common declaration. Meanwhile, the deliberately ambiguous terms reflect the constraints of agreement.
Middle East War Exposed BRICS Divisions
One of the prominent issues for the BRICS Summit 2026 was the U.S.-Iranian conflict.
In the New Delhi Declaration, there was grave concern over the spiraling up of the tensions in the Middle East and a call for maximum restraint. It appealed to countries not to take steps that could further exacerbate the situation and reiterated the vital role of dialogue, consultation and diplomacy.
The declaration, however, didn't specifically mention the United States, Israel, Iran, or Gulf countries in its call for restraint.
This was significant as BRICS has countries that have very different relationships with the parties to the conflict. Iran is a member of the BRICS group of countries, and the UAE enjoys close security and economic ties with the United States.
India thus needed to come up with a language all could accept.
This led to a compromise. BRICS had the opportunity to raise concerns over the conflict without specifically mentioning the countries involved.
This is a common feature of the BRICS: when members concentrate on broad principles, they are more likely to reach agreement on such issues as global governance.
India's diplomatic role has been particularly significant, as it has relationships with nations on opposing sides of international conflicts.
Attacks on nuclear power plants are a growing source of concern.
Growing concern about attacks on nuclear facilities.
The New Delhi Declaration also expressed that attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards were a matter of concern.
This language assumes special importance in the wake of the conflict with Iran as nuclear facilities are at the heart of concerns about escalation.
BRICS did not directly blame any side for the protection of civilian infrastructure and international safeguards but rather applied the more general term.
Once again, the bloc’s preference for diplomatic language that reflects a variety of national views is evident.
The Russia-Ukraine War continues to be a challenging issue.
Another serious issue for the unity of BRICS is the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia is one of the original members of the so-called BRICS countries, and India and China have strong diplomatic and economic ties with Moscow. The other BRICS countries have their own stance and interests on the war.
There was no specific reference to Ukraine in the New Delhi Declaration, which called for dialogue, consultation, and diplomacy in resolving international issues in general terms. It also criticized unilateral coercive measures and sanctions that are not authorized by the UN Security Council.
Against the backdrop of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has led to it being the subject of many unilateral sanctions, the opposition to such measures is especially important for Russia.
The problem is also related to energy security in India. India has kept its economic ties with Russia strong and strengthened its economic ties with the United States, Europe, and other countries.
This balancing approach has been one of the reasons that New Delhi has opted for diplomacy over alignment with either side.
BRICS steps up the game in Palestine.
However, the BRICS stance on Palestine was more forthright than their stance on Ukraine and the Iran conflict.
The declaration condemned the “forcible displacement of Palestinian people and efforts to change the geography or the demographic nature of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
It also endorsed the provision of humanitarian aid, UNRWA activities, and Palestinian UN membership.
BRICS reiterated their support for a two-state solution, in which the sovereignty of Palestine will be guaranteed with the Palestinian state established along the 1967 borders, East Jerusalem as its capital, and Palestinian sovereignty over the historic territories.
This position is a reflection of the overall Global South support for Palestinian statehood.
The Palestine issue is also linked to BRICS' broader claim of a right to equal application of international law and for developing countries to exert greater influence in international decision-making.
BRICS refuses unilateral tariffs.
Trade policy was also a key subject during the BRICS Summit 2026.
The New Delhi Declaration voiced serious concern over unilateral trade actions such as tariff and non-tariff barriers that could distort trade and thus impact the multilateral trading system. BRICS members have voiced their concerns over such measures, as they can create disturbances in global supply chains and raise uncertainty among businesses and developing economies.
In its criticism, the declaration did not explicitly name the USA.
It was a salient omission as the United States has imposed tariffs and other measures on some of the BRICS countries.
This enabled the members of the BRICS group to challenge protectionism without directly challenging each other, thus preventing an impasse that could make consensus difficult.
The method is also indicative of India's overall foreign policy. New Delhi is seeking deeper economic ties with the United States and a greater influence in BRICS and other Global South institutions.
A call to refrain from unilateral sanctions. A call to oppose unilateral sanctions.
The BRICS declaration did not just target tariffs but also "unilateral coercive measures" such as economic and secondary sanctions not approved by the UN Security Council.
Such measures can impact development, food security, health, and vulnerable populations, according to the declaration.
This is especially relevant for countries like Russia and Iran that have been subjected to a lot of sanctions.
To other members, the question is linked to a larger one: Can strong nations legally apply economic sanctions as foreign policy tools without widespread international cooperation?
This is a key element of BRICS' broader advocacy of a multi-polar international order, thus making sanctions policy a significant component.
Modi Calls for a Global South That Shapes Rules
The Global South should be a rule-shaper, not a rule taker,' was one of the strongest political messages that stood out from India, delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi asserted that developing nations ought to have more influence in shaping the rules of international institutions, trade, finance and world security.
He also said that BRICS is not a “protest” group against the West.
India's role is significant, as it mirrors the Indian policy of strategic partnership with more than one significant power.
New Delhi is keen on having BRICS represent the developing nations without converting it into a formal geopolitical bloc against the United States or Europe.
Modi's message was therefore not just about a change of one power to another but about a change in global governance.
The drive to a multipolar world.
During the BRICS Summit 2026, the bloc has once again affirmed its commitment to a multipolar world.
The statement highlighted increased multilateralism and more opportunities for emerging markets and developing economies.
China's President Xi Jinping also encouraged the expanded BRICS group to play a more significant part in global economic and political processes. At the top, China encouraged joint work in various fields such as artificial intelligence, trade, and finance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was also in favor of more representation for Asia, Africa and Latin America in global institutions.
The same goal is common to these jobs: to close the gap between the Western-developed institutions and the rising economic power of emerging economies, which is symbolized by the word BRICS.
But a multipolar world does not imply a unified foreign policy between the BRICS.
The members continue to be independent states, each having their own set of security concerns, economic systems, and relationships with the big powers.
The Indian-China Engagement Gains an Extra Dimension
The summit also offered a convenient forum for India-China interaction.
The two leaders, Prime Ministers Modi and Xi, held talks on bilateral relations, border issues, trade, and other areas of cooperation on the sidelines of the summit. The meeting was seen as a measured move towards mending ties between the two Asian powers.
India's and China's ties continue to be complex, with the lingering border dispute and strategic rivalry.
However, cross-border communications are crucial to BRICS, as China and India are two of the most influential countries in the group.
Enhanced bilateral cooperation would facilitate the two nations in specific BRICS economic and institutional projects, even in the presence of differences in other areas of cooperation.
The economic cooperation might take on greater significance.
Aside from geopolitical tensions, BRICS is becoming more concerned about economic cooperation in practice.
The bloc has talked about increasing the use of local currencies, the development of more effective cross-border payment systems, trade facilitation, energy cooperation, and enhanced cooperation between emerging economies.
The importance of these initiatives is that international commerce is still susceptible to geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, tariffs, and sanctions.
It doesn't have to be a global financial system that sets up an instant replacement for what currently exists. Rather, BRICS is trying to establish other avenues for its members to trade and collaborate.
This might eventually enhance the economic significance of the group.
China is also encouraging enhanced cooperation among BRICS in emerging technology fields, such as artificial intelligence. Beijing announced a series of measures, such as a BRICS AI Open Source Zone and a proposed Service Trade Forum, Reuters said.
Africa's focus on BRICS and global governance reform
One of the key issues of the group is still institutional reform.
The fact that the international institutions that were set up in an earlier period fail to reflect the new economic power distribution is a concern of BRICS countries.
The Security Council of the United Nations is perhaps the one that is most often mentioned.
India, like other emerging economies, has been pushing for permanent membership of the Security Council and a greater role in other key international decision-making forums.
This was reinforced by the discussion on reform within the framework of the broader process of making global governance more representative, which was highlighted at the BRICS Summit 2026.
The general message is simple: countries with a large population and economic output should play a bigger role in defining international rules.
What the 2026 Summit Will Bring to BRICS
The most important lesson was that BRICS is gaining in influence but not necessarily in uniformity of political views.
The membership has increased substantially to include nations with diverse political, economic, and foreign-policy agendas.
That diversity can, at times, be a liability when faced with a specific conflict.
Meanwhile, diversity is also a positive thing. By connecting countries that may not have a common diplomatic platform, BRICS can forge common ground.
The New Delhi Declaration was a testament to both sides of this truth.
Members were free to agree on general principles like dialogue, sovereignty, multilateralism, and opposition to unilateral economic pressure. However, they did not include language that would force all members to agree on extremely sensitive issues.
This is the significance of the New Delhi Declaration.
The New Delhi Declaration is not just about the issues discussed during the summit.
It demonstrates BRICS' desire to stay relevant in times of immense geopolitical transformation.
The bloc is trying to link up different aspects: economic development, international trade, technology cooperation, energy security, institutional reform, and diplomacy.
India's presidency has focused on BRICS, which is not just anti-Western but focused on a development-friendly spirit of the group.
The official declaration also renewed cooperation with the BRICS partner countries and stressed the adoption of a more representative and equitable international system.
The official BRICS New Delhi Declaration best spells out the commitments made in the summit.
The Future of BRICS?
China will next chair BRICS, and this will allow Beijing to continue the initiatives set up by India.
Whether the members of the BRICS can transform the political rhetoric into concrete cooperation will shape the direction of the BRICS in the future.
Three areas will be key:
- Economic cooperation—greater technological and economic cooperation, including the development of stronger trade, investment, and payment systems—can help BRICS economies maximize their usefulness.
- Diplomatic coordination—building consensus in the face of conflicts involving members—will be a big challenge.
- Global governance reform—the bloc will need to make demands for increased representation and more concrete institutional proposals.
There may be many areas in which, despite political differences, there is strong interest in cooperation among members: artificial intelligence, energy security, climate change, food security, digital payments, and supply-chain resilience.
Conclusion
In the end, the BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi was a testament to the power and powerlessness of the newly expanded entity.
BRICS has successfully embraced the Declaration from New Delhi, even amid disagreements on issues like the Middle East, Ukraine, tariffs, and sanctions. The members came up with general concepts of diplomacy, multilateralism, economic cooperation, and more representation for the developing countries.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic care taken in the Iran conflict indicated that BRICS cannot be a bloc of countries. Its members have differing strategic interests, and these become more apparent when their differences come to the fore in conflicts that directly affect BRICS countries.
The summit was an opportunity for India to showcase its diplomatic flexibility and to promote the interests of the Global South. The main aspiration of the meeting was for developing countries to be rule-shapers in accordance with Modi's call.
The bigger New Delhi message, then, is that BRICS wants to have a bigger say in how the international system is developed, and how much influence it will wield in the future will depend on the extent to which the members are successful in turning shared principles into action.
The summit did not go to the extent of ending the differences within the BRICS. Rather, it proved that the organization can go on without them. Maintaining dialogue may be one of BRICS' most valuable virtues in a more geopolitically competitive world of trade disputes and competing global visions.
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