The Expanding Club
What began as a forum for four major emerging economies has already undergone significant transformation. The bloc now stands at eleven full members after welcoming Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in 2024, followed by Indonesia in 2025.
But the queue to join is getting longer. More than 30 nations, from Turkey to Pakistan and Nigeria, have formally applied or expressed strong interest in becoming part of this influential group. The surge in interest reflects a growing desire among developing nations for alternatives to Western-led financial and political institutions. To manage this demand, the bloc introduced a 'partner country' system in 2024, creating a formal pathway for engagement for nations like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan, which acts as a structured waiting room for potential full membership.
China’s Push for a Bigger Bloc
At the heart of the expansion drive is China. Beijing views a larger BRICS as a powerful tool to build a geopolitical coalition that can effectively challenge the dominance of the G7 and other US-led international structures. For China, a rapid and large-scale expansion serves a clear strategic purpose: to amplify the voice of the Global South and, in doing so, create a world order that is less dominated by Washington. This perspective is strongly supported by Russia, which sees a bigger BRICS as a crucial way to counteract its diplomatic and economic isolation following the conflict in Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions. Both countries see the bloc primarily through a geopolitical lens, as an alliance to reshape global power dynamics.
India’s Calculated Caution
New Delhi’s position is more nuanced. India is not fundamentally opposed to expansion, but it is proceeding with a significant degree of caution. The primary concern is that a rapid, China-led enlargement without clear and agreed-upon criteria could dilute India’s own influence within the group and transform BRICS into a platform dominated by Beijing's interests. Indian strategists have repeatedly emphasized a desire for the bloc to be “non-Western, not anti-Western,” focusing on reforming global governance rather than directly confronting it. As the 2026 chair, India has championed a development-focused agenda, prioritizing issues like resilient supply chains, digital infrastructure, and sustainable growth. The fear is that an unchecked expansion would subordinate this economic agenda to a purely geopolitical one, pulling India into rivalries it seeks to manage, not escalate.
The Balancing Act
The other founding members are caught in this strategic tug-of-war. Brazil, much like India, has historically favored a more gradual approach, emphasizing the economic and developmental aspects of the partnership over geopolitical posturing. South Africa, while open to expansion, is also mindful of maintaining its own prominent role within the group. The addition of several new members, including regional heavyweights from the Middle East and Africa, has already made consensus-building more complex. Internal rivalries between new members, such as Egypt and Ethiopia or Iran and Saudi Arabia, add another layer of complexity that tests the bloc's ability to speak with a single voice on contentious global issues.
The Showdown in Delhi
The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 is shaping up to be the moment these competing visions are negotiated. As the host and chair, India is in the critical position of steering the conversation. New Delhi's diplomatic challenge is to find a middle ground that accommodates the desire for growth while preserving the bloc's institutional coherence and its original focus on development. The outcome of the summit will offer the clearest indication yet of the future direction of BRICS: will it remain a platform for economic cooperation and a voice for the Global South, or will it evolve into a sprawling, politically-driven coalition defined by its opposition to the West? For India, navigating this question is not just a matter of foreign policy, but a core strategic imperative.
