“At the 18th Summit, PM Modi positioned India’s BRICS chairship to advance inclusive, human-centric global governance focused on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.”
BRICS enters its third decade at a moment when the international order is undergoing profound change. In his opening remarks at the 18th BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed India’s chairship within a larger vision of inclusive, people-centric and humanity-first global cooperation. His message was not merely about strengthening an international grouping; it was about making global governance more representative, responsive and capable of addressing the challenges of a rapidly changing world. India’s BRICS chairship, guided by the priorities of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, has sought to take the grouping beyond summit diplomacy. More than 350 meetings were organised across nearly 30 Indian cities, bringing BRICS engagement closer to people, institutions and communities. This approach underlines an important principle: international cooperation becomes meaningful when its outcomes eventually improve the lives of ordinary citizens. The 20th anniversary of BRICS provides an appropriate moment for such reflection. Twenty years after its formation, the grouping has acquired a distinct identity on the global stage. Its members have demonstrated that differences in national perspectives need not prevent cooperation. Consensus remains central to BRICS, but consensus must now be translated into concrete outcomes. That is perhaps the most important challenge before BRICS as it enters its next twenty years. The grouping has demonstrated that countries with different political systems, economic structures and strategic priorities can work together. Its next task is to demonstrate that this collective voice can produce measurable change in the international system. Prime Minister Modi’s proposal for a BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism is therefore significant. Annual changes in chairship should not result in the loss of institutional momentum. A systematic mechanism through the Troika, supported by a secure digital repository recording decisions, responsible institutions, timelines and implementation status, could make BRICS more accountable and effective. Such an institutional approach can help transform summit declarations into continuing programmes. It can also ensure that initiatives survive changes in leadership and remain part of a long-term BRICS agenda. But strengthening BRICS internally is only one part of the larger challenge. The second is reforming global governance itself. PM Modi’s description of the existing international order as a “pyramid of privilege” captures a longstanding concern of the Global South. Many developing countries are deeply affected by decisions taken by international institutions, yet their influence over those decisions does not always correspond with their economic weight, population or contribution to global growth. The alternative proposed by India is a “platform of partnership”—a system in which every country has a meaningful voice and a stake in decisions affecting humanity. This vision is particularly relevant at a time when global challenges have become increasingly interconnected. Climate change, economic instability, technological disruption, conflicts, pandemics and food and energy insecurity do not respect national borders. Yet the institutions expected to address these challenges often operate through structures created under very different global circumstances. Reform, therefore, cannot remain an abstract diplomatic aspiration. It must improve representation, responsiveness and rule-making. Representation is the first pillar. Modi’s call for time-bound progress on reform of the United Nations Security Council reflects the demand for international institutions to better represent contemporary realities. Similarly, global financial institutions need to ensure that voting power, leadership positions and policy priorities reflect the changing distribution of economic power. The second pillar is responsiveness. International institutions ultimately earn legitimacy by solving problems effectively. The Prime Minister’s proposal for a Seafarers Emergency Support Network illustrates this practical approach. Seafarers sustain a significant part of global trade but can face serious difficulties when emergencies occur far from home. A coordinated network connecting maritime authorities and diplomatic missions could facilitate distress alerts, medical assistance, family communication and evacuation. Such initiatives demonstrate how global governance can become more people-centred. The strength of international institutions is ultimately measured not by the number of declarations they produce, but by their ability to respond when individuals and communities need help. The third pillar—rule-making—may prove the most consequential in the years ahead. Artificial intelligence, cyberspace, biotechnology, outer space and other critical technologies are rapidly transforming economies and societies. The rules governing these domains are still evolving. The Global South cannot afford to remain merely a consumer of rules formulated elsewhere.
“Amplifying the Global South strengthens global institutions by making them more legitimate and resilient. At 20, BRICS must mature from a collective voice into an actionable force capable of addressing global governance challenges. Under India’s chairship, the grouping advocates for a multilateral vision centered on shared global leadership, replacing privilege and empty declarations with genuine partnership and delivery. Moving forward, BRICS’ ultimate success depends on translating cooperation among emerging powers into a fairer, more responsive international order.”
Developing countries need the expertise and institutional capacity to participate actively in shaping the norms that will govern the technologies and economies of the future. PM Modi’s proposal to use BRICS to equip young diplomats and policymakers with negotiation skills, legal expertise and practical training offers one avenue towards that goal. It is an investment not simply in present diplomacy but in the next generation of global decision-makers. The emphasis on South-South Cooperation is equally important. Developing countries possess diverse experiences of development, governance, technology and social innovation. Sharing these experiences can create alternatives and solutions better suited to the realities of the Global South. India’s willingness to take the lead in this area reflects the broader transformation of its own international role. A country that once primarily sought space within existing institutions is increasingly arguing for institutional reform and a greater role in shaping the rules themselves. This is not a call for one group of countries to replace another. The more constructive vision is one of partnership. A stronger voice for the Global South does not have to mean a weaker global system. On the contrary, broader representation can make international institutions more legitimate, resilient and effective. The real test of BRICS at 20 will therefore be whether its unity can translate into impact. Its coming of age should mean greater institutional maturity, stronger implementation and a willingness to engage with difficult questions surrounding global governance. India’s chairship has placed an ambitious proposition before the grouping: if humanity shares the future, humanity must also share the right to shape it. That is a positive and forward-looking vision of multilateralism. It replaces exclusion with participation, privilege with partnership and declarations with delivery. As BRICS begins its next twenty years, its greatest opportunity lies in proving that cooperation among emerging powers can contribute to a fairer and more responsive international order. The journey should now move decisively from voice to impact, and from privilege to partnership.
