Who is in BRICS and Who Wants to Join?
BRICS originally stood for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In 2024, it welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as full members, with Indonesia following in 2025, bringing the total to 11. But the line
to get in is long. More than 30 other nations have either formally applied or expressed strong interest in joining. Aspirants include major regional players like Turkey, Nigeria, Vietnam, and several countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These nations are drawn to BRICS for various reasons, including seeking alternative financing to Western-led institutions like the World Bank and IMF, diversifying trade routes, and gaining a stronger voice in global affairs.
What is the Core Debate Over Expansion?
The central debate pits two different visions for BRICS against each other, primarily championed by China and India. China, along with Russia, has generally favoured a faster, broader expansion. Their goal appears to be building a larger geopolitical coalition that can serve as a significant counterweight to the Western-dominated G7. India, on the other hand, has advocated for a more cautious, criteria-based approach. New Delhi's concern is that a rapid, unchecked expansion could dilute its own influence within the group and transform BRICS into a predominantly China-centric, anti-Western political bloc, rather than a platform focused on the economic interests of the Global South. Brazil has often shared India's reservations about moving too quickly.
Are There Clear Rules for New Members?
This is a major point of contention. A key part of India's pushback against rapid expansion has been the insistence on establishing clear, mutually agreed-upon criteria before admitting new countries. This prevents the process from becoming purely political and ensures new members are a good fit. To manage the high demand for membership, the bloc introduced a 'Partner Country' category in 2024. This allows nations like Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Vietnam to participate in meetings and cooperate on initiatives without having the full rights and responsibilities of membership, acting as a potential stepping stone to joining.
What are the Biggest Challenges for a Larger BRICS?
A bigger BRICS is not necessarily a more effective one. The bloc’s greatest challenge is its internal diversity. Expansion has brought in countries with their own rivalries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, or Egypt and Ethiopia. This makes reaching consensus—the way BRICS makes decisions—much harder. For example, a 2026 foreign ministers' meeting failed to produce a joint declaration due to clashes between members on opposite sides of a conflict. There are also fundamental disagreements on the group's purpose. While some, like China and Russia, see it as a geopolitical tool, others, including India, want to keep the focus on economic cooperation, development, and reforming global governance. This tension between being a non-Western versus an anti-Western platform is a defining struggle for the expanded group.
What About a BRICS Currency to Challenge the Dollar?
The idea of 'de-dollarisation' is a frequent topic, but a single BRICS currency is not on the immediate horizon. Such a project is incredibly complex, given the diverse economies, financial systems, and opaque monetary policies of members like China. Instead, the more practical focus is on increasing the use of national currencies for trade between member countries. This allows nations to reduce their dependence on the US dollar for bilateral trade and insulate themselves from the effects of Western sanctions, but it falls far short of replacing the dollar's global dominance. The New Development Bank (NDB), the bloc's alternative to the World Bank, also faces challenges, as it still raises much of its capital in dollar-denominated markets.
