The Global South's Moment: Is BRICS+ the New Strategic Heavyweight?

Описание: As India prepares to host the BRICS Summit in 2026, the grouping enters a pivotal phase. Since its formation, BRICS has demonstrated resilience and relevance through shifting global tides. Yet today, as it grapples with a polarised world order, a deeper question emerges: is BRICS finally on the cusp of real strategic influence? In a world marked by economic instability, weakened multilateralism, and rising geopolitical competition, BRICS must define its core purpose—moving from dialogue to delivery. More substantively, can it truly emerge as the site for South-South cooperation in the age of uncertainty?

Have recent geopolitical realignments finally created an opening for BRICS+ to emerge as a strategic heavyweight or are there limits to its influence?

After nearly two decades of existence, what has sustained BRICS—and what must change for it to remain relevant?

What does “South–South cooperation” mean in an era of strategic competition and self-reliance?

Speakers

Valery Konyshev, Professor, Head of the Department of Comparative Politics, North-Western Institute of Management, Russian Academy of National Economy, Russia

Tafadzwa Luke Mupingashato, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Thabo Mbeki, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa, South Africa

Mariana Rondon, Programme Director, Plataforma CIPÓ, Brazil

Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, Observer Research Foundation America, United States of America

Moderator

Sunaina Kumar, Director and Senior Fellow, Centre for New Economic Diplomacy, Observer Research Foundation, India