Full Breakdown
BRICS Summit in New Delhi Tests Bloc’s Ability to Challenge Western Dominance
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: September 12-13 2026 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi
The BRICS grouping—now eleven members—convenes in New Delhi for a two-day summit on September 12-13 2026. Host nation India seeks to raise the bloc’s profile while members grapple with divergent positions on the U.S.–Israel war on Iran and other security issues. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on the Friday before the summit, underscoring the high-level nature of the meeting.
Background & Context
BRICS originated after the 2008 financial crisis when emerging economies sought a collective voice outside Western-led institutions. Initially a quartet of Brazil, Russia, India and China, the group added South Africa in 2010 and expanded in 2024 to include Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. The expansion aims to amplify South-South cooperation and shift the global centre of gravity toward the East and the South.
Data & Statistics
- Population: roughly 50 % of the world’s people.
- Economic output: about 40 % of global GDP (PPP).
- Oil production: 44 % of worldwide supply.
- Trade share: roughly 25 % of global trade.
- Growth rate: 3.7 % in 2024, versus 1 % for the G7 (IMF).
- New Development Bank approvals: about $39 billion by the end of 2024.
Expert Commentary & Divergent Views
Analysts agree BRICS offers an alternative platform for financing and trade, but they differ on its ability to challenge Western dominance. Brazilian scholars Octavio Oliveira and Enzo Godinho argue the bloc’s existence gives Global South countries a venue to bypass the West, even if it lacks UN-level capacity. Sean Burges says the group is driven by profit-seeking trade and a desire to curb “the preachiness of the ‘West’.” Imran Khalid notes that reliance on the U.S. dollar limits policy independence, while Guy Burton warns that expanding membership dilutes coherent positioning, making coordinated action difficult.
Criticism & Opposition
Internal divisions surfaced at the May foreign-ministers’ meeting, where no joint statement emerged because Iran demanded naming U.S. and Israeli actions while the UAE opposed such language. These fractures raise doubts about the group’s capacity to present a united front against Western pressure.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources concur the dollar remains dominant in BRICS trade, but they differ on the pace of de-dollarisation. Khalid stresses a gradual, member-by-member reduction; Burton suggests the bloc as a whole is not moving off the dollar. No definitive data are provided on how quickly individual members are shifting currency exposure, leaving the extent of monetary independence unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Countries that were spearheaded to become the next ‘developed’ nations understood that their voice would be best heard if they organised themselves as a group,” — Octavio Oliveira
- “The two priorities uniting the BRICS countries are largely a desire to make lots of money through international trade and to see an end to the preachiness of the ‘West’ about where they are failing in terms of rights and democracy,” — Sean Burges
- “The bloc as a whole is not moving off the dollar; individual members are reducing their own exposure, one relationship at a time,” — Imran Khalid
What’s Next
Analysts note that the summit’s outcomes will influence the bloc’s credibility and its ability to reshape global norms. Decisions on trade-payment mechanisms, development financing, and collective messaging on conflicts will determine whether BRICS can meaningfully curb U.S.–centred dominance or remain a fragmented coalition of ambitious but divergent states.
