BRICS is growing, but will it really challenge the US-led world order?

By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-09-18 10:12:01 | Updated at 2026-09-18 13:11:28 3 hours ago

Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points.

In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Sarang Shidore, the director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute in Washington DC.

In a conversation taking stock of the grouping’s annual meeting in New Delhi on Sept 12-13, he calls BRICS an “interesting experiment” that is worth studying.

Like ASEAN, it operates on consensus but has no charter. BRICS has been on a membership drive and now covers nearly all the regions outside of the wealthy western world.

BRICS comprises 11 members - Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates. It has now has ‘partner countries’ including the likes of Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

US President Donald Trump has blasted the grouping, suspecting it of wanting to supplant the US dollar, the world’s leading currency. But de-dollarisation is not on the horizon, Shidore says.

Instead, the body is asking for “modest, not revolutionary” reforms in the world order.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:40 Why should Asean care about BRICS?

6:50 What the New Delhi summit achieved

11:50 What does Trump see in BRICS?

19:30 ‘Competition within cooperation’: The China-India dance

27:10 US vs China: Destined to clash over AI in BRICS nations?

33:15 What are Beijing’s goals when it chairs BRICS in 2027?

37:45 Is BRICS ever going to create an alternative world order?

Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo

Bhagyashree Garekar’s LinkedIn: https://str.sg/gD6E

Host: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected])