How BRICS Is Quietly Shaping India’s Infrastructure, Trade and Economy
From metro projects and development finance to trade deficits and supply-chain dependence, BRICS has a growing but complicated footprint in India.
BRICS has a growing but often overlooked presence in India, extending beyond diplomatic summits into infrastructure, trade and financial cooperation. As India hosts the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, the grouping’s practical impact is becoming more visible.
The New Development Bank, established by the original BRICS members in 2015, has approved 35 projects in India worth nearly $10.5 billion, with transport infrastructure receiving a major share of the funding. Projects supported by the bank include the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS, Chennai Metro, Indore Metro and Mumbai Metro networks, along with roads, bridges, water systems and energy projects.
However, BRICS expansion has not eliminated India’s trade challenges. India recorded a $226.1 billion merchandise trade deficit with the BRICS partners examined in FY2025-26, with China accounting for the largest share. Indian industries also remain heavily dependent on Chinese supplies of electrical equipment, machinery and vehicle components.
BRICS markets provide India with additional export opportunities, but the United States remains a crucial destination for several major Indian exports. India has also resisted calls for a common BRICS currency, instead focusing on making cross-border payments more efficient.
The bloc’s growing membership has brought greater economic weight but also geopolitical divisions. For India, BRICS therefore appears less a replacement for Western markets and more a platform for diversification, development financing and greater strategic options.
