A Larger, More Complex Family
Originally a club of five major emerging economies—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—the BRICS bloc has undergone a significant transformation. In 2024, it welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. This was followed by
Indonesia's formal entry in 2025, making it the group's first Southeast Asian member. While Saudi Arabia was also invited, its membership remains under consideration. This expansion has dramatically increased the group's demographic and economic footprint. The bloc now represents nearly half of the world's population and over a quarter of the global economy, controlling a significant share of global oil production.
Why Expand? The Official Goals
The primary driver for expansion is the long-stated goal of creating a more multipolar world, offering a counterweight to Western-dominated institutions like the G7, World Bank, and IMF. Proponents, particularly Russia and China, see a larger BRICS as a platform to amplify the voice of the 'Global South' and challenge a global system they view as inequitable. Key objectives include fostering trade in local currencies to reduce dependence on the US dollar and establishing alternative financial mechanisms, such as the New Development Bank (NDB), to fund infrastructure and development projects. For new members, joining offers access to new markets, investment opportunities, and a platform to enhance their own global influence.
A House Divided on Growth
Despite the unified front presented at summits, the path to expansion has been fraught with internal debate. China and Russia have been the strongest advocates for rapid enlargement, viewing it as a way to build a broader anti-Western coalition. However, India and Brazil have been more cautious. Their concern is that a hasty expansion, particularly with countries closely aligned with Beijing, could dilute their own influence within the bloc and turn it into a China-centric body. India, in particular, has insisted on establishing clear criteria and a consensus-based approach for admitting new members to avoid this outcome. These differing strategic visions—whether BRICS should be a non-aligned economic platform or a geopolitical bloc—lie at the heart of its internal friction.
India's Strategic Tightrope Walk
For New Delhi, the expanded BRICS presents both an opportunity and a challenge. India has long championed itself as a 'voice of the Global South' and sees the bloc as a key vehicle for promoting a multipolar world order that serves developing nations. However, it must balance its commitment to BRICS with its strategic partnerships with Western countries, including its membership in the Quad. India is wary of the bloc adopting an overtly anti-Western stance, a position pushed by members like China, Russia, and new entrant Iran. As such, India's approach, described as "non-Western, not anti-Western," focuses on steering the group towards its original development-focused agenda rather than geopolitical confrontation. It has promoted settling trade in national currencies over the more radical idea of a common BRICS currency.
Potential Power vs. Practical Problems
On paper, an expanded BRICS is a formidable force. However, turning this collective weight into coherent action is the group's biggest challenge. The increased diversity of political systems, economic priorities, and foreign policies makes consensus harder to achieve. The bloc now includes staunch US adversaries like Iran alongside major US security partners like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Long-standing rivalries between members, most notably between India and China, continue to create friction and threaten cohesion. Without stronger common governance rules or institutional mechanisms, the expanded group risks becoming more of a talking shop than an effective shaper of global policy. The larger the group, the higher the transaction costs of making any decision, a reality that has already led to discussions about pausing future expansion to allow the new members to integrate.
