BRICS and Beyond

Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group | MCRG, in collaboration with Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung South Asia, is launching a research initiative to examine the evolving role of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new members including Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) in shaping global governance. Once dismissed as a “lazy acronym,” BRICS has expanded into a powerful bloc representing 45% of the world’s population and over a quarter of global GDP and trade. Its growing outreach signals the potential to serve as an alternative platform for the Global South in addressing economic, political, and security challenges.

The project will explore whether BRICS can emerge as the voice of the Global South, akin to the role once played by the Non-Aligned Movement. Key areas of focus include BRICS’ impact on global food security, its role in climate governance, and its efforts to reshape multilateral institutions. We will also examine the bloc’s economic strategies—particularly the New Development Bank and initiatives to reduce dependence on the dollar—while assessing their potential to promote inclusive development across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Alongside these external dynamics, the study will address internal issues that shape BRICS as a collective: displacement and migrant labour, minority rights, and women’s empowerment. These challenges are central to understanding whether BRICS can balance national priorities with a shared vision for equitable development.

Through case studies of China, India, Russia, and South Africa, MCRG aims to generate knowledge on how BRICS might contribute to a more just and multipolar global order. By situating BRICS within the broader struggles of the Global South, the project highlights its possibilities and limitations as a counterweight to Western-led institutions.