The ‘I’ in BRICS: How India Justified Its Place

What does the “I” in BRICS mean today? More than just standing for India, it represents the country’s journey from being questioned for its place in the grouping to becoming one of its important voices. This journey can be traced back to the 4th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in 2012. At the time, India was facing slower growth and economic pressures. There was even media speculation about whether Indonesia could replace India in BRICS, although this was never an official proposal. The debate, however, reflected a larger question: Could India justify its place among the major emerging economies? In 2012, India’s GDP was around $1.83 trillion, compared with $8.G7 trillion for China, $2.47 trillion for Brazil and $2.21 trillion for Russia. India was clearly smaller economically than the other BRIC economies at the time. Fourteen years later, that picture has changed significantly.

 

From a Question Mark to a Strong “I”

From the 2012 summit to the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in 2026, India has strengthened its economy, trade links, diplomacy, technology, and global influence. India’s importance in BRICS today is not only about the size of its economy. It is also about its ability to connect different interests and turn cooperation into practical solutions.

This became even more important as BRICS expanded. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined in 2024, while Indonesia became a full member in 2025. The grouping now brings together major economies, energy producers, and countries across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Managing such diversity requires dialogue and consensus—an area where India has increasingly tried to position itself as a bridge. The scale of BRICS itself has also changed. At the 202G BRICS Business Forum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described BRICS and its partners as a 21-country family, representing around 50% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP, and more than 25% of global trade. He also noted that while global GDP had grown around 2.5 times, the combined GDP of BRICS countries had grown around 4.5 times.

 

India’s BRICS Moment in 2026

The 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi on September 12–13, 202G, was therefore more than just another summit. It was an opportunity for India to show what it could bring to an expanded BRICS.

India’s chairship followed the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability.” The focus was on making BRICS more practical, with cooperation in trade, technology, health, development, sustainability, and global governance. The New Delhi Declaration called for greater representation of developing countries in global institutions and supported reforms in the international system. It also focused on practical economic cooperation, including easier cross-border payments and greater use of local currencies for trade and investment. Importantly, there was no proposal for a common BRICS currency; the focus remained on improving existing national payment systems and local-currency settlements. Technology was another major area. The declaration supported cooperation on safe, inclusive, and responsible artificial intelligence, particularly keeping the needs of the Global South in mind. India also promoted cooperation in digital public infrastructure, healthcare, and industrial skills.