Race To Power: Can India, China and Russia bridge differences amid global crises?

The countdown to the 18th BRICS Summit has begun.

India's national capital is preparing for the arrival of global leaders at the high-stakes gathering, where countries at war, countries affected by war, and those pushing for peace will be under the same roof.

What began as a BRIC summit in 2009 became BRICS with South Africa's inclusion in 2011.

But in the last few years, BRICS has expanded exponentially, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining in 2024. The latest country to join the grouping is Indonesia. With the exception of America and its Western allies, BRICS provides a counterbalance to Western hegemony over the global order.

The rules of this new and emerging world order are no longer being drafted in Western capitals. Despite internal differences and disputes, BRICS provides a critical platform for convergence on shared interests, especially trade and the economy.

Trump's tariff threats and wars in West Asia and Ukraine have left the Western consensus fractured. At the same time, countries like China and India are positioning themselves as stabilising forces.

But there is a caveat. There is still a huge difference between what BRICS can be and what it really is. This untapped potential of the grouping can be realised if the member states manage to work out their differences.

China and India have a border dispute to resolve; Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been dragged into the West Asia conflict. Iran and Russia have their own active wars to resolve.

The internal power dynamics have certainly not stopped these countries from engaging on common interests. But can they move further without resolving these issues? That remains a big question.

BRICS will bring together India, China and Russia once again after last month's SCO Summit.

Increased diplomatic engagements and coordination on the bilateral front have revived speculation regarding the RIC trilateral. Russia is striving to revive the activities of the Russia-India-China troika.

New Delhi, on the other hand, has shown cautious openness.

BRICS nations are facing three big challenges, which boil down to one aspect: the economy.

Tariffs, wars and energy — all of these affect the economy.

The strings of all these issues are, one way or another, attached to Washington, where the Trump administration will be watching the summit very closely. China and India are the world's second-largest economy and fastest-growing major economy, respectively.

Both countries are net importers of oil. The longer the Hormuz blockade continues, the greater will be the cost of energy.

Then come tariffs. The US President's tariff onslaught has left countries searching for new markets, and the economic component of BRICS could come into play on this front.

The grouping collectively represents 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of world GDP and 26 per cent of global trade.

Last year's BRICS declaration called for comprehensive UN reform, multilateral trade reform and inclusive governance, while strengthening the group's role as a platform for Global South solidarity.

New Delhi has outlined four pillars for its BRICS chairship — resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.

The focus will be on strengthening economic resilience to navigate global uncertainties and deepening multilateral engagement through policy coordination, development finance and trade facilitation.

When BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, all eyes will be on how the forum positions itself in the wake of global challenges.

More importantly, how countries position themselves within the group itself amid internal differences and disputes.