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UPSC MainsGeneral Studies Paper IInternational RelationsPractice question

BRICS Successes and Emerging Geopolitical Challenges

The BRICS grouping succeeded up to a point, but now it confronts multiple challenges due to changes in the geopolitical order. Comment.

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Introduce BRICS and its recent expansion, highlighting its representation of the Global South. Examine the key institutional and economic successes of the grouping, followed by an analysis of the structural and geopolitical challenges confronting it in an increasingly polarized global order. Conclude with a forward-looking perspective on maintaining the bloc's non-aligned, consensus-driven relevance.

Model answer

359 words

Introduction

Originally formed to democratise global governance and foster economic cooperation among major emerging economies, BRICS has recently expanded into BRICS+ with the induction of nations such as the UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Currently accounting for nearly 37% of global GDP and over 45% of the world's population, the grouping represents a significant voice for the Global South while facing acute pressures from an evolving global order.

Key Successes Achieved So Far

  • Institution Building: The establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) has provided a credible multilateral alternative for financing sustainable infrastructure in the Global South, funding vital projects such as the Mumbai Metro Line 6 ($241 million) and the Delhi-Meerut RRTS without imposing structural conditionalities.
  • Financial Safety Nets: The creation of the $100 billion Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) provides short-term liquidity support to member states, insulating emerging economies from balance-of-payments volatility.
  • De-dollarisation and Trade Mechanisms: BRICS has facilitated local-currency trade settlements to reduce dependence on Western financial systems, formalising initiatives such as the blockchain-based BRICS Pay framework at the 2024 Kazan Summit.

Emerging Challenges in a Shifting Geopolitical Order

  • Strategic and Ideological Divergence: Member states hold divergent visions for the bloc. Russia and China increasingly steer the platform towards an explicitly anti-Western coalition in response to geopolitical standoffs, whereas foundational members like India and Brazil adhere to multi-alignment and strategic autonomy, actively participating in frameworks like the Quad.
  • Intra-Bloc Bilateral Tensions: Longstanding military standoffs and border tensions between India and China inhibit deeper strategic coherence. Furthermore, membership expansion has imported regional rivalries into the forum, notably the geopolitical friction between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
  • Sino-Centric Economic Imbalance: China's overwhelming economic weight relative to other member states raises concerns of BRICS serving as an instrument for Beijing's unilateral geostrategic agenda rather than fostering genuine multipolarity.

Conclusion

To remain effective in an era of intense global polarisation, BRICS must resist turning into a reactionary anti-Western bloc and preserve its identity as a non-Western developmental platform. As India approaches its 2026 BRICS Presidency, the bloc must refocus on pragmatic, consensus-driven priorities for the Global South, including climate finance, resilient supply chains, and genuine multilateral governance reforms.

Key facts to remember

statistic

With the formal entry of new members in 2024, BRICS+ accounts for approximately 37% of global gross domestic product (PPP) and more than 45% of the global population.

example
New Development Bank Funding in India

The NDB has financed key Indian public transport infrastructure without structural policy conditions, including a $241 million loan for Mumbai Metro Line 6 and funding for the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).

definition
Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)

A $100 billion financial safety framework established by BRICS member states to provide mutual liquidity support and buffer against global balance-of-payments pressures.

Frequently asked questions

What is the primary ideological friction inside BRICS+ today?

The primary tension lies between members advocating an overtly anti-Western stance (such as Russia and Iran) and countries committed to non-aligned multi-alignment (such as India and Brazil) who seek reform of the global architecture without ideological confrontation.

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