Article Details
  • Published Online:
    January  2026
  • Product Name:
    The IUP Journal of International Relations
  • Product Type:
    Article
  • Product Code:
    IJIR030126
  • DOI:
    10.71329/IUPJIR/2026.20.1.35-55
  • Author Name:
    Arjun Singh Dyarakoti
  • Availability:
    YES
  • Subject/Domain:
    Arts and Humanities
  • Download Format:
    PDF
  • Pages:
    35-55
Volume 20, Issue 1, January-March 2026
From BRICS to BRICS Plus: Opportunities and Challenges of Expansion
Abstract

Amid the growing chorus of demand for reforms in global institutions, the reorientation of the BRICS with the addition of five new members has brought this multilateral forum into the limelight once again. This paper examines the promises and perils of the expansion of the BRICS, which was announced at the 15th BRICS summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2023. It analyzes the opportunities and challenges after BRICS expansion and provides insights into the possible implications for India. The paper argues that the expansion does offer opportunities for the member countries to emerge as an alternative to the Western-led global institutions; however, there remain strong challenges that put a serious question mark over the ability of the grouping to translate its vision and resolutions into concrete results.

Introduction

The rise and evolution of BRICS, a multilateral grouping comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has brought the attention of geopolitical experts and countries alike towards its significant role in the midst of changing dynamics of the global world order.