Published : 14 Sep 2026, 06:56 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:50 AM
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have emerged among the biggest winners from this year’s BRICS Summit in New Delhi, according to analysis by ABC News.
The summit exposed divisions within the group, but also offered some members significant gains as BRICS seeks a bigger role for the Global South, the American broadcaster said.
BRICS is a group of 11 major emerging economies that originally brought together Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2006 on the sidelines of the G20.
South Africa joined several years later, followed by Iran, the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia about two years ago.
The group wants the Global South to have a greater say in traditional Western institutions that shape the global economy, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization.
But unlike NATO or the G7, BRICS has no underlying ideological foundation and has often faced criticism over internal divisions, ABC News said.
Those divisions have become more visible amid the war in West Asia. Iran has attacked the UAE, while Saudi Arabia has been targeted by Iran-backed forces, including the Houthis last week.
Chietigj Bajpaee, a senior research fellow for South Asia at Chatham House, said there were “fissures and fault lines” within the group.
Brazil and India want BRICS to remain more focused on economic issues, while Russia and China see it as more of a geopolitical initiative, he said.
Modi’s Gains
The divisions make Modi’s outcome at the summit particularly significant, ABC News said.
With India hosting the gathering in New Delhi, Modi secured unanimous agreement on a 140-point joint declaration, which the broadcaster described as a major win for the Indian prime minister.
Xi’s Opening
Xi also emerged with a gain from the summit, with the declaration explicitly acknowledging China’s decision to extend zero-tariff treatment to more than 50 African countries.
As per ABC News, the move reinforces Beijing’s ambition to become the go-to partner for economic relations and trade across the Global South.
The timing is also significant for Xi, who is days away from meeting US President Donald Trump in Washington.
“But I often see that the real actions are happening on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit,” Bajpaee quoted as saying.
