How India’s Brics presidency could transform this multi-nation platform into a global force for reform

For India, this is not merely another diplomatic chairmanship. It is an opportunity to shape one of the world’s most consequential plurilateral groupings.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently articulated a vision for Brics as a platform not of confrontation but of constructive multipolarity. India has argued that Brics must serve as a force for inclusive global growth, human-centric globalization and institutional reform, while avoiding the trap of becoming an anti-Western bloc.

This balanced strategic positioning has enhanced India’s credibility both within Brics and beyond.

India’s presidency, therefore, brings heightened expectations. The Indian government has already demonstrated, through the G-20 presidency and Voice of Global South Summit, its ability to translate diplomatic ambition into practical outcomes.

The Modi government’s approach is rooted in pragmatism: Brics must evolve from a consultative platform into an implementation-oriented institution. India has emphasized that in an era of economic uncertainty and fractured supply chains, emerging powers need mechanisms for cooperation, not merely rhetorical solidarity.

This is why India is expected to focus its presidency on strengthening Brics’ institutional architecture. Calls for establishing a formal secretariat have grown and New Delhi is likely to support mechanisms to improve continuity, coordination and implementation.

Equally significant is India’s push to deepen business-to-business and people-to-people engagement. The government recognizes that the long-term success of Brics cannot rest solely on summit diplomacy; it must be underwritten by stronger commercial, technological and societal linkages.

India’s own digital governance model—from Aadhaar to UPI and other digital public infrastructure—positions it uniquely to lead this conversation.

Further, India has made it clear that geo-economics rather than geopolitical grandstanding should anchor Brics’ future. This is prudent.

Brics countries account for a substantial share of global growth, energy resources, manufacturing potential and demographic dynamism. Yet intra-Brics economic cooperation is underdeveloped.

India’s presidency offers an opportunity to address this by focusing on trade facilitation, resilient supply chains, infrastructure financing and technology partnerships.

The debate over de-dollarization is illustrative here. Some members advocate dramatic alternatives to the dollar-based financial system, but India has adopted a pragmatic stance. It recognizes that global trust in the dollar is strong and abrupt financial disruption is neither feasible nor desirable.

Instead, New Delhi supports calibrated experimentation with local currency settlements where economically viable, framing the issue not as ideological resistance to the West, but as prudent financial diversification and transaction-risk mitigation. This reflects the broader Modi doctrine on global economics: reform existing systems where necessary without destabilizing them.

Most importantly, the presidency offers New Delhi an opportunity to strengthen its emergence as a leading voice of the Global South. Over the past several years, India has successfully positioned itself as a bridge between developed and developing worlds, engaging major Western powers while championing the concerns of emerging economies. This balancing role gives India high credibility within Brics.

Modi’s vision has stressed that the 21st century cannot be governed by 20th century institutions. Whether on UN Security Council reform, development finance, climate justice or technology governance, India has argued for a more equitable and representative global architecture.

Brics offers a natural platform to advance this agenda. At the same time, India’s leadership can help steer Brics away from strategic drift. The forum’s rapid expansion has increased its weight but also its heterogeneity. Internal differences, especially on geopolitical priorities and economic asymmetries, are substantial.

India’s challenge will be to build coherence without coercion and preserve Brics’ diversity while improving its effectiveness. That is precisely where India’s diplomatic style may prove valuable: consultative, incremental and consensus-driven, yet increasingly confident in ambition.

Brics is rich in potential but still searching for institutional purpose. Its growing appeal among developing nations reflects dissatisfaction with the international order, but that alone cannot sustain relevance.

With a government that has made multilateral leadership a core pillar of foreign policy and a prime minister with a coherent vision of inclusive multipolarity, New Delhi is well placed to provide the strategic direction Brics needs.

The author is president, Chintan Research Foundation, and former director at the World Trade Organization.