17th BRICS Summit Held in Brazil

Brazil hosted the 17 th BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio de Janeiro and the theme of this meeting was strengthening Global South Cooperation Towards More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance. By adding six members to it, BRICS currently has a total of 11 countries, which is almost half of the world population. Some of the main sectors of conversations were the climate change issues, artificial intelligence, health inequality, reforms of the United Nations, and de-dollarisation. This summit ended up in the Rio de Janeiro Declaration which had a description of a multipolar and equitable world order. 

Context

• BRICS has become a strong alternative to the Western-led bodies such as G7. Originally the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, it emerged in 2009. The 2024-25 enlargement has included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, signaling the paradigm-shift into the new global power equations.
• The 17th Summit in July 2025 will be the first big summit following this expansion; it will also be a landmark in South-South cooperation, multipolarity, and institutional reforming.

Key Highlights for RAS Mains

Key Highlights of 17th BRICS Summit

Major Results of BRICS Meeting 2025

• Declaration Rio de Janeiro
  • Supported the reformation of world governance (UNSC, IMF, WTO)
  • Demanded the concept of inclusive AI governance and climate justice
  • Emphasized multilateralism, sustainability and equity
• Digital Cooperation-AI
  • Research on Best Practices Support of the ethical AI frameworks
  • Member-sharing digital infrastructure
  • Advocate data sovereignty and cyber collaboration
• Green finance and Climate Change
  • BRICS Climate Adopted leadership Agenda
  • Promoted green funding by the New Development Bank
  • Demanded that the global north take responsibility of the emissions
• The Equity of Global Health
  • Proposed equal access to medicines and vaccines
  • Neglected tropical diseases and health technology Focus
• Trade and Financial Framework
  • Indicative of de-dollarisation, local currency usage as a medium of trade
  • Operates in no shared BRICS currency (yet) and focuses on financial sovereignty
• Institutional Development
  • Enforcement of New Development Bank (NDB)
  • The Reforms in BRICS Business Council, Women Alliance and youth collaboration

The Role and the Position of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a stout address stressing:

• Emergency UN Security Council reform
• Constraining international terrorism
• Responsible AI development
• Multilateral institution support of inclusiveness
• India had actually been in line with the Brazil vision of the Global South through proactive diplomacy
• India demanded the restructured economy institutions to meet emerging needs in market

Geopolitical Significance

Way Forward of BRICS

• Internal contradictions (e.g. India-China)
• Size imbalance in the economy (China dominance)
• Slow implementation (lack of motion on currency, institutional reforms)
• Striking an equilibrium between secular, democratic and authoritarian systems

Conclusion

The Global South leadership has taken a new turn with the 17 th BRICS Summit 2025. The leadership of Brazil contributed to the strengthening of such themes as equity, reform, and digital sovereignty. The call of reconstituted institutions and ethical AI in India had its share in strengthening international governance issues. BRICS is better prepared to hold the 2026 summit in India, a kind of a new global attempt through a multipolar world order and more inclusive than before.