India Steers BRICS Towards Common Ground After All-Night Negotiations: Govt Sources

BRICS member countries appear to have moved significantly closer to consensus after negotiations stretched on through the night, going on until around 4 AM, according to government sources.

The talks reportedly saw sharp differences on several contentious issues, with India leading sustained consultations to bridge competing positions among member nations.

The reported progress carries particular weight given that Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE all sit at the same table within BRICS, despite deep and often competing positions on regional and geopolitical issues.

Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions in West Asia, bridging the gap between countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE has been seen as one of the more complex challenges facing the grouping.

Sources indicate India's diplomatic efforts have so far kept these differences from derailing the broader BRICS process, though the final shape and timing of any outcome document is yet to be confirmed.

India emerges as voice of Global South at BRICS

As the BRICS chair, India has placed the Global South at the heart of its agenda by seeking actionable solutions for food, energy, and supply chain security, primarily to insulate the developing nations from the economic consequences of the conflicts.

The summit is being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.

Many other global leaders are also joining it.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.

BRICS emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.

India's chairship of the grouping centred on the four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.