India Brings Global South Voices Into BRICS With Outreach to Regional Blocs

India used its BRICS platform to open a direct channel with some of the world's largest regional groupings, inviting leaders from ASEAN, the African Union, CELAC, the GCC and BIMSTEC to an outreach session at the summit.

The session was designed to widen the bloc's engagement with the Global South, bringing developing-country concerns into a forum that has increasingly positioned itself as a voice for emerging economies.

Discussions at the outreach meeting centred on making sure BRICS outcomes translate into tangible results for developing nations, rather than remaining confined to the grouping's own members.

By drawing in representatives from Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Gulf and the Bay of Bengal region, the session covered a broad cross-section of the developing world. The five groupings together account for a substantial share of global population and economic activity, giving the outreach a wide geographical reach.

The engagement reflects a push to keep the BRICS agenda aligned with the priorities of countries outside the bloc, particularly those in the Global South that have sought a stronger say in international economic and political decision-making.