BRICS power parade: Modi, Pezeshkian, Putin, Ramaphosa strike a stunning frame

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday walked alongside heads of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, along the red carpet at the BRICS Business Forum 2026 in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and others at the BRICS Business Forum 2026. (ANI Photo)Modi was seen holding hands with the leaders as they walked together, in a display of ties among leaders of the grouping.

BRICS currently has 11 members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. Background information on India's 2026 chairship says the BRICS countries together represent around 49.5 per cent of the world's population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade.

PM Modi on Friday called on BRICS countries to turn their growing economic strength into more investment and stronger business links. Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum in India, he said safe sea routes, freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers were necessary for the smooth flow of global trade.

Modi called on the grouping to identify and address its 10 biggest trade barriers, help 100 BRICS startups enter other member markets every year and create 1,000 new business partnerships annually. "Global trade can only progress if sea lanes are secure, supply routes remain open, and seafarers are safe.

Therefore, India is a staunch supporter of freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers," he said. BRICS was formed in 2009 as a grouping of major emerging economies seeking a greater say in global institutions largely shaped by Western powers.

The grouping initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It expanded in 2024 with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Indonesia joined in 2025. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam were added as BRICS partner countries last year.

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