India’s BRICS leadership builds a new bridge to the Gulf

The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi arrives as relations between India and the Gulf enter a defining phase. Regional tensions have refocused attention on energy security, maritime trade and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, Gulf states are diversifying their economies, investing in advanced technology and deepening commercial ties with Asia. India’s 2026 BRICS presidency is using that convergence to widen its traditionally strong Gulf relationships into a broader partnership.

The agenda now reaches beyond established energy and trade links. It includes investment, technology, food security, clean energy and regional stability. The expanded BRICS gives those efforts a larger institutional setting, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates representing the Gulf inside the grouping.

Their presence increases BRICS’ weight in global energy and finance while strengthening its connection to West Asia. India’s deep relationships with all six Gulf Cooperation Council states, along with its role as a major Gulf commercial partner and energy customer, place it at the intersection of the two regions.

That combination supports India’s claim to a bridging role between the Gulf and the wider BRICS community. The summit’s setting in New Delhi highlights an effort to turn longstanding ties into a wider strategic and economic partnership.