‘From rule-takers to rule-shapers’: PM Modi’s big pitch to BRICS leaders in welcome address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the welcome address at the opening of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, calling on the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to use the gathering to formulate ten concrete proposals for overhauling global governance structures. He highlighted the summit’s 20‑year milestone and emphasized the need to translate BRICS’s internal consensus into actionable outcomes on the world stage.

Modi’s speech outlined several operational steps: a proposal for a BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism that would maintain momentum despite the annual rotation of the BRICS presidency, and the creation of a secure digital repository to log decisions, responsible nodal points, deadlines and implementation status. He urged the group to prepare a “BRICS Reform Roadmap” by the next summit, focusing on representation, responsiveness and rule‑making, including a definitive timeline for UN Security Council reform and adjustments to voting power and leadership roles in major financial institutions.

The address came as the Global South faces heightened exposure to worldwide crises while lacking proportional influence in existing decision‑making bodies. By positioning BRICS as a platform for partnership rather than a hierarchical pyramid, Modi signaled India’s intent to champion a more inclusive international order, potentially reshaping the dynamics of institutions such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund.