The world is entering an era defined less by certainty than by disruption. Geopolitical rivalries are deepening, economic fragmentation is accelerating, technological competition is reshaping national power, and faith in the existing global order is steadily eroding. Against that backdrop, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call for BRICS countries to become “four pioneers” is more than diplomatic rhetoric. It is an attempt to give direction to a grouping that increasingly sees itself as a platform for reshaping the international system.

At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration as the grouping marked two decades of cooperation. In his address, Xi looked back on 20 years of BRICS development and outlined four areas in which the group should take the lead: innovation-driven development, peace and stability, mutual learning among civilizations, and reform of global governance.

Taken together, the four priorities amount to a political and economic blueprint for what BRICS wants to become in its next decade. The message is unmistakable: emerging powers do not intend merely to adapt to a changing international order. They increasingly want a role in determining its rules.

The first and perhaps most consequential frontier is development.

For many countries in the Global South, the traditional development model has produced mixed results. Economic dependence, technological gaps and unequal access to capital continue to constrain national ambitions. BRICS presents itself as an alternative framework – one in which countries can cooperate without being forced into rigid political alliances or choosing between dependence and isolation.

China has played a central role in pushing that vision. The expansion from the original BRICS grouping toward a broader “BRICS Plus” framework has transformed the organization from a relatively small coalition of emerging economies into a much larger platform representing a substantial portion of the developing world.

That expansion also raises expectations. A larger BRICS will only matter if it can translate political........

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