Bangladesh, Jan. 21 -- Indias assumption of the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2026, comes at a defining moment in global politics. Following its widely noted stewardship of the G20 in 2023, New Delhi now faces the challenge of guiding another influential multilateral platform through a period marked by geopolitical fragmentation, intensifying great power rivalry, and a visible erosion of faith in multilateralism. Indias leadership of BRICS unfolds against the backdrop of a renewed “America First” posture under US President Donald Trump, whose administration views BRICS not merely as a forum of emerging economies, but as a strategic challenge to US economic and institutional dominance.

This convergence of circumstances places...