BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi as wars and rivalries strain expanded bloc

Leaders of the BRICS nations will meet in New Delhi this weekend as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with US-China tensions, test the group's ability to act together.

Host India will seek to balance its ties with China and Russia against its growing partnerships with the United States and other Western powers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders expected to attend.

BRICS is a grouping of major emerging markets and developing countries, named after Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It has expanded from its original membership to include 11 countries, which together represent about half the world's population and a large share of global energy, resources and economic output.

Experts say its growing membership has also exposed divisions, as its members seek greater influence in the global order but often have competing political, economic and foreign policy interests.

BRICS faces divisions over Iran and Ukraine

The conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine are likely to highlight those divisions.

Iran is a member of the expanded BRICS, while Russia remains one of its most influential members. China has close ties with both countries, while India maintains relations with Russia, Iran, the United States and Europe.

That diversity makes it difficult for BRICS to take a strong common position on major conflicts. The grouping includes countries with competing regional ambitions, including India and China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as other nations from the Global South.

"The Global South is not a homogeneous entity," said Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. "Hence, the grouping will find it hard to manage and mediate in these conflicts."

Russia's war in Ukraine has already exposed the limits of India's ability to balance competing interests. New Delhi has maintained close ties with Moscow, including through energy and defence agreements, while also deepening its strategic relationship with Washington.

India has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy rather than taking sides.

The Iran-US conflict poses a similar challenge. BRICS members have differing ties with Washington and interests in the Middle East, making a unified response difficult.

China and Russia have backed Iran in international forums, while India has taken a cautious approach. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have their own tensions with Tehran.

India sees BRICS as a way to engage China

For India, the summit is an opportunity to manage its relationship with China.

Ties have improved since border tensions escalated in 2020, but China remains India's largest strategic rival.

Xi Jinping's visit to New Delhi, his first in seven years, could help consolidate the recent diplomatic thaw, but there are few signs of a recovery in trade and business ties.

"The upcoming summit offers India an opportunity to engage with China, make progress on outstanding bilateral issues," Donthi said.

India also has an interest in preventing BRICS from becoming an explicitly anti-Western bloc.

New Delhi has strengthened ties with the United States, Israel, Japan, Australia and Europe while maintaining its longstanding relationship with Russia.

"India will project its strategic autonomy by being part of a non-West grouping but also finds it useful to engage with China, its primary strategic rival," Donthi said.

The grouping wants less reliance on the dollar

Reducing dependence on the US dollar is a major issue for BRICS.

Members have discussed increasing trade in their own currencies and creating payment systems that would reduce their reliance on Western financial institutions.

The idea has gained momentum as countries such as Russia face sweeping Western sanctions. But replacing the dollar will be difficult, as it remains deeply embedded in global trade and finance, while BRICS members have different currencies, financial systems and economic priorities.

Mahesh Sachdev, a retired Indian diplomat, said the goal should not be a direct confrontation with the dollar. Instead, he said, countries want to reduce their exposure to a financial system that can be used for political pressure.

"It's a challenge, but we're not talking about frontal confrontations. It's not a binary situation," he said.

Its influence will depend on what it can deliver

BRICS' growing membership gives it considerable weight, but its influence will ultimately depend on whether its members can agree on practical steps.

The group has called for changes to global financial institutions, greater representation for developing countries and alternatives to Western-dominated systems. Yet its members often disagree on how to achieve those goals.

Sachdev said BRICS needs a "more cohesive attitude and better harmony" among its members.

"If it remains just a periodic talking shop and photo ops," he said, "then its relevance erodes."

Donthi said BRICS' success could be measured in smaller steps, including keeping the expanded group together, improving ties with China and deepening trade and financial cooperation.

The grouping could also demonstrate that it can provide developing countries with a platform without forcing them to choose between Western and non-Western blocs, he said.

"BRICS allows for incremental geopolitical gains, if not outright wins," Donthi said.