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Current Affairs | 12 September 2026
BRICS New Delhi Declaration 2026: What the Consensus Means for India and the Global South
Introduction
The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi adopted the New Delhi Declaration by consensus on 12 September 2026, despite significant political differences among member countries over ongoing global conflicts.
The consensus is important because the expanded BRICS now brings together countries with very different strategic interests, economic structures and geopolitical alignments. Reaching agreement on terrorism, conflict resolution, multilateral reform and the Global South therefore represents an important diplomatic outcome for India as the 2026 Chair.
The declaration broadly reinforces four major themes:
peace and security + reform of global governance + economic cooperation + stronger representation of developing countries.
Its importance lies not merely in the language of the document, but in whether BRICS can convert consensus into practical institutional reform and cooperation.
Body
Why was achieving consensus difficult?
BRICS has become much larger and more diverse.
Its members include:
- major Asian economies;
- large energy exporters;
- African developing economies;
- countries aligned differently on major geopolitical conflicts.
This diversity strengthens BRICS’ representativeness but makes agreement more difficult.
The 2026 summit took place amid:
- war and instability in West Asia;
- continuing geopolitical tensions involving Russia;
- protectionist trade measures;
- global energy insecurity;
- disagreements over the role of Western-led institutions.
Differences involving BRICS members themselves complicated negotiations.
Therefore, adoption of a common declaration demonstrates the continuing importance of consensus diplomacy within BRICS.
1. Strong stand against terrorism
One of the most important elements of the declaration is the collective rejection of terrorism.
BRICS members emphasised that terrorism should be opposed in all its forms and manifestations.
For India, this is particularly important because New Delhi has consistently argued that:
there can be no distinction between “good” and “bad” terrorism.
India has also pushed international organisations to avoid political double standards in dealing with terrorist groups and their sponsors.
Why this matters for India
Terrorism remains a core national-security concern for India.
BRICS provides India with another multilateral platform to build international consensus around:
- terror financing;
- radicalisation;
- cross-border terrorism;
- misuse of digital platforms;
- organised terrorist networks.
However, declarations must eventually translate into operational cooperation.
BRICS Counter-Terrorism Architecture
BRICS already has mechanisms relating to counter-terrorism cooperation.
These include:
- BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group;
- information exchange;
- cooperation against terror financing;
- discussions on radicalisation and misuse of technology.
India will seek stronger implementation of these mechanisms.
The real test is whether political commitments result in coordinated enforcement.
2. Dialogue and diplomacy for conflict resolution
The New Delhi Declaration emphasises peaceful resolution of conflicts through:
- dialogue;
- diplomacy;
- international law.
This reflects India's long-standing position regarding major international conflicts.
India has repeatedly argued that military escalation rarely provides durable political solutions.
India's broader principle
India's preferred approach can be summarised as:
Dialogue over confrontation
Diplomacy over escalation
International law over unilateral force
This allows India to engage simultaneously with competing geopolitical blocs while maintaining strategic autonomy.
Why neutral language matters
BRICS members often disagree over responsibility for major wars.
A highly specific declaration blaming one country could have prevented consensus.
The declaration therefore uses broader formulations stressing peaceful settlement and opposition to unilateral military action.
This demonstrates an important feature of multilateral diplomacy:
Consensus language is often deliberately broad so that countries with different political positions can agree.
Such language may appear weak, but it can preserve dialogue among otherwise divided states.
3. Reform of global governance
The most strategically significant long-term theme is reform of global institutions.
BRICS argues that institutions created largely in the aftermath of the Second World War no longer adequately represent contemporary economic and demographic realities.
The declaration supports stronger representation for emerging and developing economies.
The institutions most frequently discussed include:
- United Nations Security Council;
- International Monetary Fund;
- World Bank;
- World Trade Organization.
UNSC Reform
India has long argued that the United Nations Security Council does not adequately represent today's world.
Africa and Latin America have no permanent representation, while India—the world's most populous country and one of the largest economies—also lacks a permanent seat.
India therefore supports:
- expansion of permanent membership;
- expansion of non-permanent membership;
- greater representation of developing countries.
The BRICS debate strengthens India's broader argument that multilateral institutions need greater legitimacy.
Why UNSC reform remains difficult
Reform requires amendment of the UN Charter.
That requires support from:
- two-thirds of UN member states;
- all five permanent members of the Security Council.
Therefore, even strong diplomatic support does not automatically produce institutional change.
For UPSC Mains, this distinction is important:
Political support ≠ Institutional reform
4. IMF and World Bank reform
BRICS countries also seek reforms in international financial institutions.
Emerging economies argue that their:
- quota shares;
- voting power;
- leadership representation;
should better reflect their actual contribution to the global economy.
IMF Quotas
IMF quotas influence:
- voting power;
- access to IMF financing;
- allocation of Special Drawing Rights.
If emerging economies remain underrepresented, the legitimacy of the system can be questioned.
BRICS therefore demands a greater voice for developing economies in financial governance.
5. WTO and global trade
The declaration also comes at a time when protectionism and unilateral trade measures are rising.
BRICS members have expressed concern about trade restrictions that do not conform with multilateral rules.
The grouping broadly supports preservation of a rules-based trading system centred on the WTO.
However, members differ considerably in their own trade policies.
This creates a contradiction:
BRICS supports multilateral trade reform, but members themselves may use protectionist policies.
For the grouping to remain credible, its members must reduce this gap between declaration and practice.
6. Stronger voice for the Global South
The Global South is a central theme of India’s BRICS Chairship.
The term broadly includes emerging and developing economies that have historically had limited influence over global rule-making.
Major concerns include:
- development finance;
- food security;
- energy security;
- climate finance;
- technology access;
- debt distress;
- unequal representation.
India argues that countries carrying a large share of the consequences of global crises should also have a meaningful role in shaping solutions.
Global South should be a rule-maker, not only rule-taker
This is particularly important in emerging areas such as:
- Artificial Intelligence;
- digital governance;
- climate standards;
- data governance;
- global taxation.
Many of these rules are currently shaped primarily by advanced economies.
India wants BRICS and the Global South to participate more actively in creating future global norms.
This is a major shift:
Global South as recipient of rules → Global South as participant in rule-making
7. Development Finance and the New Development Bank
BRICS’ strongest institutional innovation remains the New Development Bank (NDB).
Prelims Fact
Headquarters: Shanghai, China
The NDB finances:
- infrastructure;
- clean energy;
- transport;
- urban development;
- sustainable projects.
BRICS views the NDB as a complementary institution rather than a formal replacement for the World Bank.
Its strategic significance lies in expanding options for development financing.
Why alternative development finance matters
Developing countries often face a huge infrastructure financing gap.
Traditional institutions may involve:
- lengthy approval processes;
- policy conditionalities;
- limited financing availability.
Alternative institutions can increase competition and provide additional financing choices.
However, NDB itself must maintain:
- financial sustainability;
- transparent lending;
- project quality;
- debt sustainability.
A development bank cannot remain credible if geopolitical objectives override sound financial standards.
8. Local-currency trade and payment connectivity
BRICS is also working to improve cross-border financial transactions.
Areas under discussion include:
- payment-system interlinkages;
- local-currency trade;
- digital payments;
- settlement infrastructure.
These efforts are often incorrectly described as the creation of a BRICS common currency.
Prelims Trap
Local currency settlement ≠ Common BRICS currency
Local-currency trade means two countries may settle transactions directly in their own currencies.
A common currency would require far deeper integration.
BRICS does not currently have:
- a common central bank;
- monetary union;
- common fiscal policy;
- unified exchange-rate mechanism.
Therefore, comparison with the Euro is misleading.
9. Why local-currency settlement is attractive
Potential benefits include:
- lower conversion costs;
- reduced dependence on intermediary currencies;
- faster settlements;
- greater financial resilience.
For example:
Indian Rupee → Partner currency
rather than:
Indian Rupee → US Dollar → Partner currency
But large-scale adoption requires:
- currency liquidity;
- convertibility;
- balanced trade;
- trusted financial markets.
Therefore, dollar dependence cannot be reduced simply through political declarations.
10. Climate and sustainable development
Sustainability remains one of the four pillars of India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship.
Developing countries argue that climate action must be accompanied by:
- climate finance;
- technology transfer;
- development space.
India's position broadly emphasises climate justice.
This means countries with different historical responsibilities and development levels should not necessarily bear identical burdens.
BRICS can provide another forum for developing economies to coordinate positions ahead of global climate negotiations.
11. Technology and innovation
The declaration also sits within a wider BRICS push on technology.
Under India’s Chairship, cooperation has expanded into:
- AI;
- digital agriculture;
- health technology;
- deep tech;
- scientific research.
Initiatives such as BRICS Bharat Innovates illustrate how India wants technology cooperation to become more practical.
The long-term objective is not only technology consumption.
It is:
research + innovation + production + global deployment.
12. Supply-chain resilience
Recent global crises exposed weaknesses in highly concentrated supply chains.
Countries increasingly seek:
- diversification;
- trusted suppliers;
- domestic capacity;
- strategic reserves.
For India, this creates opportunities under:
- Make in India;
- Production Linked Incentive schemes;
- semiconductor manufacturing;
- National Logistics Policy;
- PM Gati Shakti.
BRICS cooperation can potentially improve connections among large markets, resource producers and manufacturing economies.
13. India's diplomatic achievement
Consensus on the declaration is significant for India because New Delhi had to bridge wide differences among members.
India's preferred BRICS model differs from more confrontational interpretations.
India generally does not seek to transform BRICS into a rigid anti-Western alliance.
Instead, it wants BRICS to function as:
a reform-oriented Global South platform.
This fits India's wider diplomatic strategy.
India participates simultaneously in:
- BRICS;
- Quad;
- G20;
- SCO;
- partnerships with EU;
- partnerships with US;
- Global South initiatives.
This is a classic example of multi-alignment.
14. India's Strategic Autonomy
Strategic autonomy does not mean neutrality on every issue.
It means retaining freedom to make decisions based on national interests.
For example:
India can:
- cooperate with Russia on energy;
- work with the United States on technology;
- participate in the Quad;
- remain active in BRICS;
- deepen ties with the EU.
This flexibility is an important characteristic of contemporary Indian foreign policy.
15. Why BRICS is not an alliance
BRICS lacks many features of a conventional alliance.
It has:
- no collective defence clause;
- no common military command;
- no supranational government;
- no binding common foreign policy.
Its decisions rely substantially on consensus.
Thus, BRICS is better described as a:
political-economic coordination platform
rather than a military or ideological alliance.
Key Challenges After the Declaration
Internal geopolitical differences
India–China competition remains significant.
Iran and Gulf countries may differ on regional security.
Russia’s confrontation with the West creates another division.
China’s economic dominance
China's economy is much larger than that of most other BRICS members.
India wants multipolarity globally, but also needs balance within BRICS itself.
Expansion and consensus
More members improve representation but make agreement harder.
The question is:
Can BRICS expand without becoming institutionally paralysed?
Implementation gap
BRICS regularly produces declarations.
Its credibility increasingly depends on turning them into measurable outcomes.
Students should therefore distinguish between:
Declaration → political commitment
and
Implementation → measurable cooperation
Way Forward
Convert declarations into measurable outcomes
BRICS should establish clear implementation timelines and progress reviews.
Strengthen NDB
The bank should expand sustainable and infrastructure lending while maintaining financial discipline.
Build practical payment interoperability
Focus should remain on settlement efficiency rather than premature currency-union proposals.
Deepen counter-terror cooperation
Information sharing, financial intelligence and operational coordination should improve.
Maintain balanced institutional leadership
No single power should dominate BRICS.
Preserve development focus
Food security, health, infrastructure, climate finance and technology should remain core priorities.
Strengthen multilateral reform coalition
BRICS should coordinate with other developing economies to build wider support for UNSC and financial-institution reforms.
Conclusion
The New Delhi Declaration represents an important test of whether an enlarged BRICS can still find common ground.
Its significance lies in the fact that countries with very different strategic positions were able to agree on broad principles covering terrorism, peaceful conflict resolution, global-governance reform and development cooperation.
For India, this strengthens three major foreign-policy objectives:
strategic autonomy + Global South leadership + reform of multilateral institutions.
Yet declarations alone will not determine BRICS’ future relevance.
The real measure of success will be whether consensus in New Delhi produces:
institutional reform + development finance + practical cooperation + measurable outcomes.
The challenge for BRICS is therefore no longer simply to become larger.
It is to become more effective while remaining diverse.
Mains Practice Questions
Q1. The New Delhi Declaration demonstrates both the growing influence and the internal limitations of an expanded BRICS. Analyse.
15 Marks | 250 Words
Q2. India views BRICS primarily as a platform for reforming global governance rather than as a conventional geopolitical alliance. Discuss.
15 Marks | 250 Words
Sources
Reuters – BRICS Reaches Consensus on Joint Declaration Despite Internal Divisions
Indian Express – Terrorism and Institutional Reform in the BRICS Delhi Declaration
