What Is BRICS and Who Are Its Members?
BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation that originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, and China, first meeting in 2009. South Africa joined in 2010, adding the 'S' to the acronym. The group was founded to increase the influence of emerging economies
and create an alternative to Western-dominated international institutions. In a significant enlargement, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates joined in January 2024, followed by Indonesia in early 2025, bringing the total number of full members to eleven. This expansion has substantially increased the bloc's demographic and economic weight, with it now representing nearly half the world's population and over a quarter of the global economy.
The Driving Force Behind Expansion
The push to grow the bloc is largely driven by a desire among developing nations for a more multipolar world order that is less dependent on Western powers and the U.S. dollar. For many countries in the Global South, BRICS is seen as a vehicle to challenge the dominance of institutions like the G7, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where they feel underrepresented. The expansion adds significant strategic weight, incorporating major energy producers like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE, which collectively control a substantial share of global oil production. This strengthens the bloc's economic leverage and accelerates efforts to conduct trade using local currencies, a process often referred to as de-dollarisation.
A Long Line of Hopefuls
The recent expansion has only fuelled further interest. Over 30 countries have reportedly applied for or expressed a strong desire to join the group, with dozens more exploring alignment. This list includes a diverse range of nations such as Turkey, a NATO member, as well as Pakistan, Nigeria, Venezuela, Thailand, and Azerbaijan. To manage this high demand without compromising the group's coherence, BRICS introduced a 'Partner Country' category in 2024, which allows for participation in meetings and initiatives without full membership. The motivations for these aspiring members vary, but common goals include gaining access to new markets, alternative sources of financing like the New Development Bank (NDB), and strengthening strategic autonomy in an uncertain global landscape.
India’s Calculated Position
As a founding member, India plays a crucial and complex role in the expansion debate. New Delhi supports a multipolar world and sees BRICS as a key platform to advance the interests of the Global South. However, India has also been more cautious about rapid, unstructured expansion, fearing it could dilute its own influence or, more critically, shift the bloc's dynamics decidedly in favour of its strategic rival, China. Consequently, India has advocated for a more gradual approach with clear criteria for membership, championing the partner-country model as a middle path. During its 2026 chairmanship, India's theme is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” signalling a focus on making the enlarged group more effective rather than simply bigger. New Delhi's stance is often described as “non-Western, not anti-Western,” seeking to reform global governance rather than overturn it.
The Challenges of a Bigger Bloc
While expansion brings greater influence, it also introduces significant challenges and potential fault lines. The bloc is marked by deep internal diversity, including democracies and autocracies with varying economic priorities and political systems. Long-standing geopolitical rivalries, such as the border dispute between India and China, and tensions between new members like Saudi Arabia and Iran or Egypt and Ethiopia, threaten to undermine the group's cohesion. The reliance on consensus for decision-making can also slow progress. Critics point out that without a formal charter or a permanent secretariat, BRICS risks becoming an unwieldy talking shop, strong in rhetoric but weak in coordinated action.
