From Economic Club to Political Bloc
Originally, BRIC was a term coined in 2001 to group four promising emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. By 2009, these countries had turned the concept into a formal diplomatic group, holding their first summit. The first change came
in 2010 with the inclusion of South Africa, transforming BRIC into BRICS and giving the bloc a foothold in Africa. For its first decade, the group focused on coordinating economic policy and advocating for a greater voice for developing nations in institutions like the IMF and World Bank. Its agenda was aspirational, centered on reforming the existing global order, not replacing it.
The Great Expansion of 2024
The most significant change to BRICS happened on January 1, 2024, when the group dramatically expanded for the first time in over a decade. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates officially joined as full members. Indonesia followed in early 2025, becoming the bloc's tenth member and its first from Southeast Asia. Saudi Arabia was also invited and is considered a member by the group, although it has delayed its formal entry. This wave of expansion instantly increased the bloc's demographic and economic weight, with the expanded group now representing nearly half the world's population and a larger share of global GDP than the G7 in purchasing power parity terms.
What Sparked the Change?
The push for expansion was driven by several factors. For years, China and Russia advocated for a larger bloc to build a more direct counterweight to Western dominance. The desire for a 'multipolar' world order resonated with dozens of other nations in the Global South, who saw BRICS as an alternative to Western-led institutions. The expansion was touted as the dawn of a post-Western world order where the “global majority” is empowered. For new members, joining offers access to new markets, investment from the New Development Bank (the 'BRICS Bank'), and a platform to increase their diplomatic influence. The creation of a new 'Partner Country' category in 2024 also provides a pathway for further engagement with nations like Nigeria, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
India’s Strategic Balancing Act
The debate over expansion revealed different visions for the bloc's future. India, supported by Brazil, was not against expansion but pushed for establishing clear rules and criteria for new members first. This was seen as a strategic move to manage the pace of growth and prevent the group from becoming an overtly anti-Western alliance dominated by China. For India, BRICS is a vital platform to champion the interests of the Global South and maintain its own strategic autonomy. As the 2026 chair, India is focusing on building consensus around priorities like sustainable development, innovation, and resilient supply chains, aiming to steer the enlarged group toward practical cooperation rather than ideological confrontation.
A Bigger Bloc, Bigger Problems?
The key change today is that the debate is no longer about if BRICS should expand, but about how to manage its new, sprawling identity. A larger group has more economic clout and political influence on paper, but achieving consensus is now far more complex. The bloc now includes historic regional rivals like Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as countries with deep security ties to the West, such as the UAE and Egypt. These internal divisions and divergent interests present a significant challenge. Critics argue that the expanded group risks becoming a 'loose and non-decision-making discussion club', prestigious to join but unable to act cohesively. The challenge is to convert greater representation into tangible outcomes.
