What's happened
Leaders from BRICS, including Modi, Putin, Xi and Pezeshkian, gather in New Delhi as the bloc weighs economic reforms, currency diversification, and responses to global conflicts. The summit faces pressure from Ukraine, the Middle East, and rivalries with Western powers.
What's behind the headline?
Context and Stakes
- BRICS’s growth to 11 members highlights a push to alter the current global order.
- India seeks a diplomatic balance between Moscow, Tehran and Western partners while pursuing deeper economic and technology ties with Washington and Europe.
- Currency diversification remains a central theme, potentially reshaping international finance.
What to watch next
- Whether a joint BRICS statement emerges amid tensions over Iran and Ukraine.
- The durability of the India-Russia-China axis as regional dynamics shift.
- How Western economies respond to BRICS proposals on trade and finance.
How we got here
BRICS has expanded to 11 members, spanning half the world’s population. The group seeks greater representation in global institutions and is pushing for currency diversification in trade to reduce reliance on the US dollar. India hosts the summit amid complex ties with Russia, Iran, China, the US and Europe, aiming to balance partnerships while promoting dialogue.
Our analysis
France 24, Arab News, Independent provide overlapping coverage of Modi hosting, Xi and Putin arrival, and discussions on currency diversification and global institution reform. Independent highlights the domestic and international balancing acts faced by India; Arab News emphasizes Xi’s arrival and security measures; France 24 details the broader regional and strategic context.
Go deeper
- What concrete steps will BRICS take on currency diversification?
- How is India balancing ties with Moscow and Washington during the summit?
- What outcomes are most likely for a joint BRICS statement on Ukraine or the Iran war?
More on these topics
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Ukraine - Country in Europe
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Russia - Country
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran) - Country in the Middle East
Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a
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United States - Country in North America
The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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Masoud Pezeshkian - Member of Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran
Masoud Pezeshkian is an Iranian heart surgeon and reformist politician of Azerbaijani and Kurdish descent who is currently President-elect of Iran.
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Vladimir Putin - Russian President
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.
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New Delhi - Capital of India
New Delhi is a district located in NCT Delhi. New Delhi serves as the capital of India and the seat of all three branches of the Government of India. The foundation stone of New Delhi was laid by Emperor George V during the Delhi Durbar of 1911. It was de
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Narendra Modi - Prime Minister of India
Narendra Damodardas Modi is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. He was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014, and is the Member of Parliament for Varanasi.
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People's Republic of China - Country in East Asia
China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
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Middle East - Region
The Middle East is a transcontinental region that generally includes Western Asia, all of Egypt, Iran, and Turkey. Soviet Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are generally excluded.
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BRICS - Association of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia
BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs.
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Xi Jinping - General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party
Xi Jinping is a Chinese politician serving as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, president of the People's Republic of China, and chairman of the Central Military Commission.
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Country in the Middle East
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a country in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula.
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Houthis
The Houthi movement, officially called Ansar Allah and colloquially simply Houthis, is an Islamic political and armed movement that emerged from Sa'dah in northern Yemen in the 1990s.
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India - Country in South Asia
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the second-most populous country, the seventh-largest country by land area, and the most populous democracy in the world.
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Yemen - Country in the Middle East
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is the second-largest Arab sovereign state in the peninsula, occupying 527,970 square kilometres.
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Brazil - Country in South America
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers and with over 211 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most