PM Modi Attends 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil Amid Notable Absences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in the 17th edition of the BRICS Summit, being held on July 6th and 7th. The summit marks a key opportunity to enhance cooperation among member and partner countries across a wide range of global challenges, including climate change, artificial intelligence (AI) governance, multilateral reforms, and global health.

Known for its vibrant Carnival culture, football enthusiasm, and natural beauty, Rio de Janeiro is hosting this year’s summit at the iconic Museum of Modern Art (MAM). The venue has transformed from a tourist hotspot into a global platform for high-level diplomatic deliberations. BRICS, an acronym representing the five founding nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has since expanded its membership to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, making it a growing geopolitical force. The group also has 10 strategic partner countries, such as Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and Vietnam, participating in this year’s discussions.

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BRICS currently represents 39% of global GDP, 23% of global trade, 24% of global foreign direct investment (FDI), and 43% of global oil production. Under Brazil's presidency this year, the summit is focused on six key priorities:

1. Global health

2. Trade, investment, and finance

3. Climate change

4. Artificial Intelligence governance

5. Multilateral peace and security architecture

6. Institutional development

India is slated to preside over the BRICS Summit next year, indicating an increasingly central role for the country within the bloc.

During the summit, Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several global leaders on the sidelines. He will also make a bilateral visit to Brasília—marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Brazilian capital in nearly six decades. In Brasília, Mr. Modi will meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to deepen strategic ties across sectors including trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, health, and people-to-people exchange.

In a post on social media, Modi expressed anticipation for a productive round of discussions with President Lula. His arrival in Brazil was met with a grand welcome from the Indian diaspora, with people of Indian origin gathering at his hotel in Rio. Women performed Kathak (a classical Indian dance) in honor of India’s armed forces and their successful Operation Sindhoor. A local Brazilian group, Astra Light, also welcomed the Prime Minister with chanting of mantras and devotional music, as attendees chanted “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Modi, Modi” while waving the Indian tricolor.

However, the summit is marked by the notable absence of two key BRICS leaders—Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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This is the first time since 2012 that Xi has not attended in person, sending Premier Li Qiang in his place. President Putin is also skipping the summit due to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued over his role in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. As a signatory to the Rome Statute, Brazil would legally be required to arrest Putin if he entered its territory, making his absence politically sensitive.

These absences have sparked speculation about the cohesion and global influence of BRICS going forward, especially in an era of shifting global alliances. Still, the summit continues with a unified focus. Member nations are expected to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial trade tariffs, which they describe as "indiscriminate", legally questionable, and damaging to the global economic order. In this context, BRICS continues to present itself as a defender of multilateralism—a political principle that supports the involvement of multiple countries in global governance, rather than dominance by a few.

The 17th BRICS Summit is especially significant as it seeks to frame a cooperative blueprint for the ethical use of AI, reform of multilateral financial institutions, and balanced global governance—issues that carry far-reaching implications for developing and emerging economies.

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