By Suleman Chitera
On January 1, 2026, India assumed the leadership of BRICS (a bloc of emerging economies focused on development). This marks the first time India has taken over the BRICS chair since the group was established. Currently, BRICS comprises ten major countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
India will host and steer major BRICS meetings throughout the year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that India’s guiding theme for the bloc will be “Humanity First,” with an emphasis on supporting disadvantaged countries by providing access to new technologies, digital tools, and inclusive global governance frameworks that enable self-reliance.
He further emphasized that wealthy nations should not exploit poorer countries under the pretext of offering assistance while extracting their resources.
BRICS aims to amplify the voices of poorer nations on the global stage so they are not marginalized. It is important to note, however, that BRICS is not a military alliance like NATO; it is an economic and political grouping, not a defense organization.
