Modi hosts BRICS leaders in India as bloc faces wars and US tensions

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting a summit of BRICS nation leaders in India, welcoming Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and representatives of other member states.

Summit agenda

The gathering's discussions center on trade, investment and ongoing global conflicts. The summit comes at a moment when the bloc faces pressure to demonstrate unity and relevance amid wars in various parts of the world and rising tensions with the United States.

Context

BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded its membership in recent years and is widely seen as a platform through which emerging and major economies seek to build an alternative voice in global politics and economics alongside Western-led institutions. Hosting the summit underscores India's efforts to strengthen its role in international diplomacy while balancing ties with both Russia and China as well as Western nations.

The meeting takes place against a broader backdrop of continuing armed conflicts around the world, along with escalating trade and political tensions between several BRICS members and the United States. These factors present additional challenges for the bloc as it seeks common ground among member states whose geopolitical interests often diverge.