India on Thursday formally assumed the rotating chairmanship of the BRICS grouping for 2026. The move positions New Delhi to advance inclusive development and strengthen the Global South’s role in international economic governance at a time of heightened global trade tensions triggered by U.S. tariff actions.
The BRICS bloc was originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and has expanded over the past two years to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. While the BRICS website lists Saudi Arabia as the 11th member, some reports indicate that Riyadh has not yet formally completed the accession process.
Data from the World Bank show that the expanded grouping represents approximately 49% of the global population, 29% of the world’s gross domestic product, and 23% of international trade, underscoring its growing economic weight.
India’s assumption of the BRICS presidency comes amid renewed trade frictions with the United States. In August, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods, including a 25% penalty linked to India’s purchases of Russian oil.
The rate was among the highest applied to U.S. trading partners and matched duties imposed on Brazil during its 2025 BRICS chairmanship. Washington later removed additional levies on certain Brazilian food exports, such as coffee and beef.
Trump has also warned BRICS countries against pursuing a common currency. In February, he described the bloc as ‘dead’ and said any attempt to challenge the U.S. dollar would be met with tariffs of up to 100%.
Analysts say India is likely to take a cautious and pragmatic approach during its presidency. Prerna Gandhi, an associate fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation, said India is expected to avoid confrontational de-dollarization and instead promote local currency settlements to preserve strategic autonomy while navigating tariff pressures.
She added that New Delhi would push for reforms in multilateral institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, while encouraging dialogue to reduce fragmentation and improve stability in global supply chains.
Raj Kumar Sharma, senior research fellow at NatStrat, said India would use its BRICS leadership to defend multilateralism against rising unilateralism and protectionism.
He noted that New Delhi supports reforms of global governance bodies, including the United Nations Security Council, the World Bank, and the IMF, while acknowledging structural inequalities in global trade rules and advocating special and differential treatment for developing economies.
On the Global South agenda, Sharma said India is expected to build on its approach during its 2023 Group of 20 presidency, prioritizing human welfare, inclusive development, and practical concerns such as food and fuel shortages, debt restructuring, and climate finance.
He cautioned that these priorities could face challenges amid competing global agendas, particularly during America’s G20 presidency.
India is also expected to play a key role in shaping the future expansion of the bloc. Pakistan, facing economic difficulties, has expressed interest in joining the BRICS-backed New Development Bank to diversify its financing options and applied for BRICS membership in 2023 with backing from Russia and China.
Sharma said India is likely to press for clearly defined membership criteria to prevent unplanned expansion from diluting the grouping’s effectiveness.
Gandhi said New Delhi supports enlargement in principle but insists that expansion must strengthen BRICS as a platform for development cooperation and global governance reform.
She added that India has emphasized transparent benchmarks, including economic size, development profile, institutional capacity, and commitment to multilateralism, with decisions taken only through full consensus among existing members.
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