BRICS

In the news

• Op-ed: India should make the New Development Bank the core of its BRICS finance agenda 14 September 2026 · The Hindu

  BRICS holds about 40% of world GDP but little say at the IMF. Can a Shanghai-based bank change that?

• BRICS adopts a 140-paragraph New Delhi Declaration at its 18th summit 13 September 2026 · The Hindu

  Eleven members with rival interests agreed on 140 paragraphs. What did India's chairship get in?

• Op-ed: India's BRICS chairship is a chance to put a divided group back together 8 September 2026 · The Hindu

  BRICS has more than doubled in size. Has it lost the consensus that made it work?

• Why is BRICS exploring its own cross-border payment links? 6 September 2026 · The Hindu

  Can linking national payment systems make trade cheaper without a showdown over the dollar?

Key facts

• The New Development Bank was agreed at the BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, in July 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai; its five founders hold equal shares. (14 September 2026)
• In September 2026 the NDB listed 139 approved projects worth about $42.9 billion. (14 September 2026)
• The 18th BRICS summit was held in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026 under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'. (13 September 2026)
• The New Delhi Declaration has 140 paragraphs and was adopted by consensus on 12 September 2026. (13 September 2026)
• India chairs BRICS in 2026 for the fourth time, after 2012, 2016 and 2021, and hosts the 18th summit in New Delhi. (8 September 2026)
• BRICS now counts eleven members and ten partner countries; Indonesia joined as a full member in January 2025. (8 September 2026)
• The 18th BRICS Summit is being held in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026 under India's chairship. (6 September 2026)
• The Kazan Declaration (October 2024) agreed to study the feasibility of BRICS Clear, an independent cross-border settlement and depository system. (6 September 2026)

Previous-year questions

1. 2026 · GS2 · 10 marks "BRICS acts as a powerful counterweight in global governance, actively amplifying the voice and influence of the Global South." Explain the role of BRICS in projecting itself as an alternative to other groupings.
2. 2018 · GS3 · 15 marks How would the recent phenomena of protectionism and currency manipulations in world trade affect macroeconomic stability of India?
3. 2014 · GS2 · 12.5 marks India has recently signed to become a founding member of New Development Bank (NDB) and also the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). How will the role of the two Banks be different? Discuss the strategic…
4. 2025 · Prelims Consider the following statements with regard to BRICS: I. 16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan. II. Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS. III. The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was…
5. 2016 · Prelims Consider the following statements: 1. New Development Bank has been set up by APEC. 2. The headquarters of New Development Bank is in Shanghai. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
6. 2014 · Prelims With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements: 1. The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009. 2. South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping…