An Architecture of Multipolarity: What the 11th BRICS Foreign Policy Dialogue Revealed

With nearly half of humanity and more than one-third of global economic output now represented within its ranks, BRICS has become a laboratory where alternative ideas about development, governance and international cooperation are being tested.

The architecture of global power is being redrawn. As established institutions grapple with a changing world, countries across the Global South are searching for new frameworks of cooperation and representation. These shifts begin in the quieter spaces where policymakers debate emerging realities and imagine what comes next. The 11th BRICS Foreign Policy Dialogue, hosted by India in New Delhi on June 5 under its 2026 BRICS Chairship, was one such moment.

Behind the careful language of diplomacy lay a larger conversation about power and legitimacy in a contested world. The dialogue brought together senior policy planners from across the BRICS nations, with the Indian delegation led by Aparna Ray, Joint Secretary (Policy Planning & Research), Ministry of External Affairs.

Unlike ministerial meetings that focus on immediate diplomatic outcomes, policy-planning dialogues are designed to anticipate long-term geopolitical trends, identify emerging challenges, and shape the strategic thinking that ultimately informs national foreign policies and BRICS summit agendas.

As BRICS approaches its twentieth anniversary, the New Delhi dialogue offered a glimpse into how the grouping is seeking to redefine its place in an international order that many believe no longer reflects contemporary realities.

The Cracks in the Old Order

A world transformed by shifting economic power, changing demographics and rapid technological advances cannot be governed forever by institutions designed for yesteryears. This conviction has become the common thread linking many countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America. While the global balance of power has steadily evolved over the decades, much of the architecture governing international finance, security and development remains anchored in assumptions forged in the aftermath of the Second World War. The result is a widening gap between contemporary realities and the institutions meant to manage them.

The numbers tell part of the story. The expanded BRICS now represents nearly 49 percent of humanity and roughly 37 percent of global GDP measured in purchasing power parity terms. By comparison, the G7 accounts for around 29 percent. More than one-third of global economic growth over the past decade has originated from BRICS economies.

These crucial figures signal a redistribution of economic dynamism away from the traditional centres of power and toward a wider, more geographically diverse world.

Beyond an Economic Club

BRICS was born as an economic acronym. Today, it has evolved into a geopolitical conversation. Its recent expansion has transformed the grouping into one of the most significant platforms representing the aspirations and anxieties of the Global South. More than 70 countries have expressed varying levels of interest in engaging more deeply with BRICS mechanisms. This unmistakably reflects a dissatisfaction with existing structures and a search for alternatives.

BRICS' expanding membership gives it greater responsibility. A larger BRICS possesses greater influence but also greater diversity. Its members span continents, political systems, development trajectories and strategic priorities. Consensus cannot be taken for granted, and that reality shaped the discussions in New Delhi.

Under the framework of "BRICS@20", delegates examined how the grouping could strengthen economic, social and institutional resilience without allowing internal differences to erode cohesion. The challenge resembles that faced by many rising coalitions throughout history. Influence is easier to acquire than unity.

Expansion increases reach but often tests purpose, and India's chairship theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", reflected an attempt to provide such purpose. It offered a vocabulary broad enough to accommodate diverse interests while remaining focused on practical outcomes.

Technology and the New Currency of Power

The geopolitics of the twenty-first century increasingly runs through data centres, semiconductor factories, digital platforms and clean-energy supply chains. Military power and economic strength remain essential to assess a grouping's power, but technological capability is rapidly becoming the currency through which influence is measured and exercised.

Delegates in New Delhi devoted significant attention to emerging technologies, digital governance and innovation-driven development. Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure and advanced manufacturing are no longer niche policy subjects. They sit at the heart of national competitiveness.

For many BRICS countries, technological cooperation offers a pathway toward reducing dependence on concentrated centres of innovation. It also presents an opportunity to create development models that are more inclusive and accessible.

The memory of the COVID-19 pandemic still lingers over such discussions. During the crisis, many developing nations waited months longer than advanced economies for access to vaccines despite representing the majority of the world's population. The delays exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains and highlighted the risks of excessive dependence on a small number of producers. The lesson was stark: Resilience is no longer a technical concept, but a geopolitical necessity.

Climate change has blurred the once-clear boundaries between environmental stewardship and economic strategy. For BRICS countries, the task is not simply to cut emissions but to do so without slowing the aspirations of millions still seeking prosperity. Balancing growth, energy security and sustainability has become one of the defining policy challenges of our time. It is therefore no surprise that climate resilience, green technology and sustainable development occupied a prominent place in the New Delhi dialogue. For emerging economies, the climate question is no longer confined to the environment. It now sits at the heart of industrial policy, economic competitiveness and national resilience.

India's Diplomatic Vantage

India's role within BRICS has always been distinctive, as, unlike narratives that frame the grouping primarily as an anti-Western project, New Delhi has consistently emphasised reform rather than confrontation. Its objective has been to widen representation without deepening global divisions.

Such a balancing instinct is crucial as India positions itself as a bridge between developed and developing worlds and between established powers and emerging ones, and achieves strategic autonomy without strategic isolation. This approach explains why India places such emphasis on practical cooperation along the lines of digital public infrastructure, climate resilience, sustainable development and institutional reform.

The support expressed by China for India's BRICS Chairship also carried symbolic significance, especially at a moment when geopolitical rivalries often dominate headlines. Beijing's endorsements suggest a recognition that India's stewardship is viewed as important for maintaining the grouping's credibility and momentum.

During a visit to Puri, some BRICS delegates reportedly expressed admiration for the centuries-old Jagannath Temple and the sophistication of its construction. One visitor remarked upon the remarkable precision with which it was built long before the arrival of modern engineering technologies. Such experiences assert cultural and civilizational confidence.

The Global South views itself not as peripheral actors adapting to inherited systems, but as societies capable of contributing ideas, traditions and governance philosophies to the future international order.

Building Institutions, Not Just Narratives

Critics often argue that BRICS generates more rhetoric than results. The criticism is not entirely unfounded, as translating broad ambitions into tangible outcomes remains a challenge, but it would be inaccurate to suggest that the grouping lacks institutional substance.

The New Development Bank, established by BRICS members, has approved more than USD 39 billion for over 120 projects since its inception. While still modest compared to older international financial institutions, the bank demonstrates an important principle. Emerging powers are increasingly willing to build institutions rather than merely critique existing ones.

History reminds us that grievance is often the easiest foundation upon which coalitions are built. Building institutions, however, is a far more demanding task. The long-term relevance of BRICS may depend less on what its members oppose and more on whether they can create enduring mechanisms that serve their shared ambitions.

A Forum for a Multipolar Century

Empires built the twentieth century. Networks may shape the twenty-first century. The emerging international order appears less likely to be dominated by a single power than by overlapping coalitions and flexible partnerships. In such a landscape, organisations like BRICS derive significance not because they seek to replace existing institutions, but because they broaden the range of voices participating in global decision-making.

Whether BRICS can fully realise its ambitions remains an open question. Internal contradictions persist, national interests will at times diverge, and consensus will not always come easily. Yet dismissing the grouping as a temporary geopolitical fashion increasingly feels detached from reality.

With nearly half of humanity and more than one-third of global economic output now represented within its ranks, BRICS has become a laboratory where alternative ideas about development, governance and international cooperation are being tested.

In New Delhi, the conversation itself pointed to a larger truth. The future is no longer being imagined in a single corner of the world. It is emerging from many centres at once, shaped by a growing chorus of nations determined to have a greater say in the century taking shape before them.