By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
India is seeking to bridge differences among members of the expanded BRICS grouping as it prepares to host the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.
Randhir Jaiswal, Additional Secretary and spokesperson at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said New Delhi was working to build consensus among the 11-member bloc despite divergent geopolitical and economic interests.
Jaiswal spoke at a dinner organized for journalists and content creators in New Delhi ahead of the summit, stressing India’s desire to strengthen cooperation among all BRICS members.
“India is friends with all BRICS member countries. As friends, it is our intention to bring all our partners together,” he said.
On whether India had launched a specific initiative to resolve differences within the grouping, Jaiswal pointed to ongoing negotiations on the summit’s joint declaration.
“You will have to wait for the joint statement,” he said, adding that the document was being negotiated collectively and would demonstrate how India was working to bring members together.
He declined to identify countries involved in specific disagreements, saying discussions were being held with all members.
India’s 2026 BRICS chairmanship has focused on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, with emphasis on development priorities and strengthening the voice of the Global South.
The country’s economic agenda includes the proposed BRICS Economic Partnership 2030, expansion of trade in services, strengthening of resilient supply chains and improved financing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
However, the bloc’s expansion to 11 members has introduced a more complex diplomatic landscape, with members holding differing positions on a range of geopolitical and regional issues.
One area of tension involves Iran and the United Arab Emirates, whose differences were evident around the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi in May, when the UAE rejected Iranian allegations and reaffirmed its sovereignty and right to protect its national security.
India and China also remain strategic rivals despite recent efforts to stabilize bilateral relations following the 2020 border clashes. Differences over security, technology and market access continue to affect cooperation between the two countries.
Another sensitive issue involves Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the use of Nile waters.
The dispute received renewed attention following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Egypt from September 1 to 2. A joint communiqué issued during the visit recognized Egypt’s “legitimate right” to protect its water, food and development interests and called on Nile Basin countries to comply with international law.
Although the communiqué did not explicitly endorse Egypt’s position against Ethiopia, the reference to Nile-related concerns adds another layer to discussions within BRICS, where China, Egypt and Ethiopia are all members.
Economic differences also remain within the grouping, particularly over the future direction of BRICS financial and trade cooperation, including proposals by Russia and China to increase the use of national currencies and develop alternatives to existing international financial arrangements.
Against this backdrop, India’s focus at the New Delhi summit is expected to be on finding areas of common ground and advancing the bloc’s development-oriented agenda while managing its internal differences.
