by Xinhua writer Chen Dongshu
COLOMBO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- After two decades of development, BRICS has evolved from a grouping of rising economies into a more institutionalized cooperation platform capable of representing the interests of the Global South, Indian experts said.
Aravind Yelery, associate professor at the Center for East Asian Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the momentum of BRICS has changed significantly over the past 20 years.
When the BRICS concept was first envisaged in the early 2000s, its members were largely viewed as rising economic forces that could serve as a counterweight in the global economy, he said.
Since then, BRICS has undergone "a tremendous transition," moving "from a grouping which was reacting to the volatilities" toward a more institutionalized mechanism in responding to global challenges, Yelery said.
He also highlighted the grouping's growing role in representing developing countries.
"BRICS represents most of the common interest and agenda of those who are left out," Yelery said, adding that successive rounds of expansion have demonstrated its capacity to represent the Global South and distinguished it from many other groupings.
Nayanima Basu, adjunct fellow at Gateway House, an Indian foreign policy think tank, said greater cohesion among BRICS members could unlock further opportunities for developing countries.
"BRICS needs to be more cohesive," she said, noting that the trend has become increasingly evident from the Kazan summit to the latest summit in New Delhi.
Basu also advocated stronger trade and economic ties among members. "It does not have to be anti-West, but a BRICS free trade agreement will always be good when all these countries do trading amongst each other," she said.
Looking ahead to China's BRICS presidency in 2027, Yelery said the grouping's next stage of development should focus not only on further institutionalization, but also on bringing tangible benefits to the Global South through greater access to finance and technologies, as well as exchanges of best practices and governance experience.
He expressed confidence that China will carry forward the achievements and lessons accumulated by BRICS, while linking previous cooperation with the priorities emerging today and the development agenda for the grouping's next decade. ■
