The Five Men Who Define BRICS And What They Want From The Summit

BRICS Summit 2026: India is all set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share the stage with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, among other key leaders.

The BRICS summit will go beyond simple economic cooperation between emerging markets, as it comes amid a particular moment of geopolitical moment with the wars in Iran and Ukraine. India faces an uphill task of walking a diplomatic tightrope as it hosts leaders from Russia, Iran and China, while maintaining relations with the US and other Western allies.

For many members of the group, the focus is to create a joint development

bank, increase trade among its members and reduce its dependence on the US dollar. However, India has been cautious about allowing the BRICS to turn into an anti-West alliance.

PM Modi, Putin and Pezeshkian were seen together holding hands at the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, a significant geopolitical message from a group that has long been viewed with suspicion by the United States. China’s Xi Jinping will arrive in New Delhi on Saturday, his first visit to India after seven years.

The Big Five Of BRICS

BRICS has emerged as an increasingly important platform for the Global South, bringing together 11 countries that comprise 40% of the world’s GDP and 60% of the global population. While the bloc has expanded to 11 countries, India, Russia, China, Iran and South Africa remain the key players.

PM Narendra Modi – India

India views the BRICS Summit as a platform to amplify its voice as a leading partner of the Global South. PM Modi’s focus is on strengthening the ability of BRICS to pursue economic cooperation and lessen the effects of geopolitical disruptions, while pressing for reform of international institutions.

India’s top priority is to balance its ties with Russia, China and Iran with those of the United States and other Western alliances. India has been cautious about allowing BRICS to become an anti-Western alliance, such as replacing the US dollar for trade.

A striking feature of this summit would be the return of Xi Jinping to India after seven years, with the two leaders likely to review efforts to ​stabilise relations and deepen economic engagement after the 2024 Galwan Valley clash, reflecting Delhi’s cautious engagement. While differences still remain, the summit provides an opportunity for fairer market access and greater balance in bilateral trade.

Xi Jinping – China

The BRICS Summit offers an opportunity for Xi Jinping to position the bloc as an alternative institution to reduce US hegemony in other institutions. China has repeatedly sought to expand the membership of the group to weaken American power, a stance India has been wary of.

China has also looked at India’s close relations with the US with suspicion, and hopes to use multilateral settings to manage differences and stability with India to prevent it from leaning too heavily on security frameworks like the Quad. At a time of geopolitical turmoil, China would hope to rally other countries with shared grievances over Western trade policies and seek backing for its own policy positions.

Vladimir Putin – Russia

Putin’s visit to the BRICS Summit is overshadowed by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, and the event will offer him a way to show that Moscow still has influential friends outside the West by expanding bilateral trade and supply chains with friendly nations. Russia remains one of India’s largest energy ​suppliers after Western sanctions.

Like China, Russia has promoted BRICS as part of a broader shift towards a multipolar international order and reduce US dominance. Putin has fully backed de-dollarisation, pushing for an independent payment system immune to US pressure. It is also looking for alternative trade and energy corridors

Masoud Pezeshkian – Iran

The summit comes more than six months after the US and Israel launched devastating strikes on Iran and imposed harsh sanctions, disrupting the global economy with the closure of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Iran has sought economic lifelines, financial integration, and political backing from BRICS to counter severe Western sanctions and show that it still has friends.

Iran has strongly advocated for moving away from the US dollar and has proposed to join a BRICS bank to seek alternative sources of capital and infrastructure to bypass Western sanctions. It has also sought support from India, Russia and China against Western sanctions and military aggression. However, Iran’s rival, the United Arab Emirates, is also part of BRICS, which also shares closer ties with the US, posing a threat to Iran’s long-term objectives.

Cyril Ramaphosa – South Africa

South Africa seeks to use the Summit to advance its diplomatic economic priorities, with a particular focus on expanding intra-BRICS trade and investment. The summit takes place after relations between the US and South Africa deteriorated during Donald Trump’s second term over alleged discrimination against white South Africans, which led to Washington excluding Pretoria from the G20 Summit.

South Africa wants BRICS to strengthen the voice of the Global South and challenge aspects of the existing Western-led order. It is also seeking BRICS cooperation for the processing of minerals and other resources domestically and attract investment and African infrastructure projects. It also sees BRICS as a platform for a greater role for developing countries in institutions like IMF and World Bank, which reducing vulnerability to Western trade.