BRICS Comes of Age: Modi Pushes for Global Reform, Deadlines & Delivery

Twenty years after BRICS began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants the grouping to put a clock on its commitments and on the reform of global institutions.

Opening the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, Modi called for an ambitious agenda for the next two decades, combining a stronger voice for developing countries with a mechanism to ensure the grouping follows through on its own decisions. His proposals ranged from time-bound negotiations on UN Security Council reform to a secure digital repository recording responsibility, deadlines and progress against every BRICS decision.

The push for delivery came after negotiations on a joint statement continued until 4 am on Saturday. Members reached consensus following intensive consultations led by India, according to ANI, with the statement expected to be issued during the summit.

Alongside the multilateral discussions, Modi met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to explore deeper cooperation in defence, artificial intelligence, space, critical minerals, energy and connectivity. The meeting also took stock of a proposed $11.5-billion aluminium investment in Odisha.

Together, the summit address and bilateral talks brought two priorities into focus: giving emerging economies greater influence over international decisions and advancing cooperation through specific projects.

A Bigger Voice and a Deadline for Reform

Modi described the grouping’s 20th anniversary as a moment of “coming of age”, arguing that its growing ambitions must carry greater responsibility.

“Now is the time for us to translate the unity and consensus within BRICS into tangible outcomes on the global stage,” he said.

That ambition extended to the institutions governing international security and finance. Modi proposed a 10-point roadmap for global governance reform, to be finalised by the next summit, organised around three principles: representation, responsiveness and rule-making.

Reform of the UN Security Council, he said, could no longer be postponed. Negotiations needed a definite timeframe and clear outcomes. Within international financial institutions, voting power, leadership positions and policy priorities should reflect contemporary economic realities.

“Countries that drive global economic growth should also play an appropriate role in shaping global economic governance,” he said.

At the centre of his argument was the imbalance between developing countries’ exposure to global crises and their influence over the decisions that shape the response.

“Today, the Global South stands in the front row of global crises but in the back row of decision-making,” Modi said, calling for the existing “pyramid of privilege” to become a “platform of partnership”.

He also emphasised consensus within BRICS, saying members respected one another’s perspectives and sought to take everyone along.

Keeping BRICS Decisions Alive Between Summits

Modi paired his demands for global reform with a proposal to strengthen BRICS’ own working arrangements.

The grouping’s annually rotating presidency, he argued, should not interrupt institutional momentum. He proposed a “BRICS continuity and implementation mechanism” to track initiatives and outcomes through a Troika arrangement, bringing together the previous, current and incoming chairs.

A secure digital repository would record the nodal point responsible for each decision, its timeframe and its implementation status. That would give successive presidencies a shared record of commitments and unfinished work.

The proposal addresses a practical challenge for a grouping pursuing long-term initiatives through changing annual leadership: ensuring that decisions remain active after the summit that produced them.

Modi said India’s chairship had also sought to connect BRICS more closely with the public. More than 350 meetings were organised across nearly 30 cities, he said, under an approach centred on people and development.

The September 12–13 summit is being held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

Consensus After Talks Until 4 AM

The overnight negotiations illustrated the work involved in finding common ground within the expanded grouping.

According to ANI, members differed on several contentious issues before reaching agreement on a joint statement. India held sustained consultations to bridge competing positions.

West Asia added to the diplomatic complexity. Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are part of the forum, bringing differing regional interests and geopolitical positions to discussions taking place amid conflict and heightened tensions.

The supplied reports did not detail the agreed text. Its significance at this stage lay in members reaching consensus despite those differences—a principle Modi had identified as central to how BRICS functions.

UAE Talks Bring Investment and Energy Into Focus

Regional uncertainty also featured in Modi’s meeting with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince on the summit’s sidelines.

Modi said India-UAE relations had been “transformed over the last few years”, with the two sides now “raising our ambitions even higher”. Their discussions covered defence, AI, space, critical minerals, energy, food security and connectivity.

“From investments ties to new possibilities in strategic energy infrastructure and IMEC connectivity, there is immense potential ahead,” he wrote on X.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders reviewed progress in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discussed opportunities in nuclear energy, technology and innovation. They also recalled UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to India in January 2026 and Modi’s visit to the UAE in May.

A major investment announcement featured in the review: the UAE’s International Holding Company plans to invest $11.5 billion in an integrated greenfield aluminium project in Odisha. The MEA described it as India’s largest integrated aluminium investment and said it was expected to position the state as a global aluminium manufacturing hub.

The leaders also acknowledged the potential role of L’Imad, the UAE’s newest sovereign investment fund, in expanding the partnership.

Modi welcomed the UAE’s participation in BRICS under India’s chairship, and both sides agreed to continue working together through the grouping. Their discussions linked the summit’s wider ambitions to opportunities in manufacturing, technology and energy—the areas where cooperation will ultimately have to produce measurable results.

With inputs from ANI