Generation BRICS

New Delhi will host the 3rd Russian-Indian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club, titled "India and Russia in the Changing Global Order: Strategic Autonomy, Security, and Partnership in the 21st Century"

This is the Club’s third annual Russian-Indian conference. Since its inception, it has become a platform for in-depth intellectual exchange, allowing experts to discuss the development of bilateral relations between Russia and India, as well as the broader geopolitical situation.

Russian and Indian experts will discuss the practical outcomes of recent high level bilateral engagements—specifically Russian President Vladimir Putin’s December visit to New Delhi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2024 visit to Moscow. During these meetings, the leaders reaffirmed their special and privileged strategic partnership, adopted a strategic cooperation programme, and set a target of reaching $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. They also agreed to advance an architecture of equal and indivisible regional security.

Key topics on the agenda include:
✔Overcoming Strategic Challenges: Approaches of India and Russia
✔A New Trajectory for India–Russia Relations: Outcomes of President Putin’s 2025 Visit

Russian participants invited to the conference include Ivan Danilin, Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations under the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS); Alexey Kupriyanov, Head of the Centre of the Indo-Pacific Region at IMEMO RAS; Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Foundation for Development and Support at the Valdai Discussion Club; and others.

⏰ Date: February 4
📍 Venue: New Delhi

📎 Full event details are available here

#ANNOUNCEMENT #India

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New Development Bank signs loan agreement for sustainable projects in Shanghai

The New Development Bank (NDB) signed a loan agreement with Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank (SHRCB) for the Greener Shanghai Project on Thursday, providing the equivalent of 100 million US dollars in five-year RMB funding to support the city's sustainable development projects.

The financing will bolster investments in clean energy, environmental protection, and digital infrastructure in Shanghai, representing practical and concrete action to translate sustainability objectives into implementable projects that deliver real economic and environmental benefits, said Roman Serov, Vice-President of NDB.

The cooperation reflects NDB's strong support for Shanghai's high-quality development and its continued efforts to build itself into an international financial centre, he added.

#NEWS #NDB #finance

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Chinese Ambassador to Russia: BRICS demonstrates strong vitality

BRICS is demonstrating strong vitality and opening up new prospects for cooperation. This was stated by Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.

"At the same time, the 'big BRICS family' is showing strong vitality; its membership has doubled and the horizons for cooperation have grown even wider," the diplomat noted.

#NEWS #China

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Russian Prime Minister: BRICS' contribution to global economy is growing, while G7's share is shrinking

The share of G7 countries in the global economy is declining, stated Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

"The weight of different countries in the world economy continues to shift. The contribution of the Global South and East—above all, the BRICS nations—is rising, while the G7's share is falling," he said during a strategic session on developing Russia’s foreign economic activity.

In this context, the government is adapting its economic support tools and stimulating the development of a supply side economy to achieve the national goals set by President Vladimir Putin.

#NEWS #economy

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The past year has witnessed a notable thaw in relations between Eurasia’s two largest powers—China and India.

The process symbolically began with Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi’s meeting at the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024—their first in five years—and gathered further momentum when the Indian Prime Minister attended the SCO Summit in Tianjin in August 2025. That gathering occurred mere days after Washington imposed 50% tariffs on select Indian imports, a move many observers interpreted as an additional catalyst for rapprochement between New Delhi and Beijing.

However, the obstacles to genuine trust between India and China are deeply structural and cannot be dismantled overnight. Still, even a gradual build-up of confidence between the two Asian giants would carry profound implications for the broader international order, most notably by unlocking new possibilities for both #BRICS and the SCO, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Anton Bespalov.

📎 More information is available on the website

#NEWS #OPINION

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🇫🇷Macron at WEF 2026: G7 aims to “build bridges” and expand cooperation with emerging countries, including the BRICS and G20, to avoid global fragmentation

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Russia to host first-ever International Geography Olympiad for BRICS school students

The Russian Geographical Society (RGS) will host the International Geography Olympiad for BRICS schoolchildren in Russia for the first time in the summer of 2026. The event is planned to include over 15 partner countries, announced Ilya Gurov, First Deputy Executive Director of the RGS.

"The Olympiad will take place in the summer of 2026. We are conducting it during this period because a field stage is needed," he explained.

Participating BRICS nations will include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the UAE. Gurov added that invitations will also be extended to Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Belarus, and Saudi Arabia.

According to the RGS representative, the Olympiad will consist of two stages: a field stage and an indoor stage. Tasks will highlight common features of the #BRICS countries as well as the unique geographical aspects of Russian regions. Participants will tackle problems related to the spatial distribution of forestry and rare metal industries, analyse urban development and transport networks, work with maps and geosystems, and take part in orientation exercises.

#NEWS #education

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Madagascar may join BRICS as partner state

Madagascar could soon become a BRICS partner country, potentially as early as the upcoming BRICS Summit in India. The announcement was made by the country’s interim President Michael Randrianirina, who noted the topic was discussed during his recent visit to South Africa.

"The South African President has accepted our request to make Madagascar one of the BRICS partner countries," Randrianirina stated.

He added that he expects to attend the BRICS Summit in India, scheduled for June.

Madagascar may become the fourth African nation to become a #BRICS partner, joining Algeria, Nigeria, and Uganda.

#NEWS

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India's central bank proposes linking BRICS' digital currencies

India's central bank has proposed that BRICS countries link their official digital currencies to make cross-border trade and tourism payments easier, two sources said, which could reduce reliance on the US dollar as geopolitical tensions continue to rise.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended to the government that a proposal connecting the central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) be included on the agenda for the 2026 BRICS Summit, the sources said.

India will host the summit, which will be held later this year. If the recommendation is accepted, a proposal to link the digital currencies of BRICS members would be put forward for the first time.

#NEWS #India #finance

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In touch with BRICS: news digest

Top stories shaping BRICS—stay informed in minutes

✔Russia supports a new candidate for BRICS membership

✔Manege Exhibition Hall in St. Petersburg plans joint projects with BRICS countries

✔Lotus with multi-coloured petals becomes the logo for India's BRICS Chairship

✔Joining BRICS has helped Indonesia achieve economic self-sufficiency

#BRICSExpertCouncilDIGEST

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Commentary by Alexander Korolev @askorolev1993, Deputy Director of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies based at HSE University, on the key moments of the Indonesian President's recent visit to Russia:

"Speaking about the results of the official visit, it should be noted that we are talking about coordinating the mutual agenda within the framework of the already signed declaration on strategic partnership. The main purpose of the visit was to demonstrate the serious intentions of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to develop a strategic partnership with Russia. It was with this in mind that the declaration was signed earlier, setting the framework for further cooperation between the parties.

Moving on to more specific results, first of all, the parties confirmed the high level of bilateral relations and their strategic nature. During the negotiations, the prospects for cooperation in the most significant and sensitive areas in terms of long-term interaction were discussed — military-technical cooperation, nuclear energy, agriculture, the chemical industry and energy in general," the expert emphasised.

Alexander Korolev also outlined how the results of the visit could affect the long-term dynamics of Russian-Indonesian relations.

"It is worth noting that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto invited the Russian president to visit Indonesia in 2026 or 2027 on an official visit. Among the publicly announced and recorded agreements, we can highlight the intergovernmental agreement on mutual recognition of education and academic qualifications. This is not a matter of sovereignty, but it broadens the overall agenda for bilateral cooperation and adds an important humanitarian aspect to it," Alexander Korolev added.

The expert also commented on the connection between the visit and the BRICS agenda.

"Speaking directly about BRICS, this factor was not touched upon during the visit, at least in terms of public discussion. However, it is obvious that the issues that were discussed and on which certain closed agreements could have been reached—in the field of nuclear energy, agriculture and fertilizer supplies—fit organically into the logic of cooperation between the BRICS countries. In this sense, they correspond to preliminary agreements between the parties and are a logical continuation of the official agenda of the visit," he concluded.

#EXPERT #OPINION

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Indonesian Foreign Ministry: Joining BRICS has helped Indonesia achieve economic self-sufficiency

Indonesia’s accession to BRICS in 2025 and its policy of diversifying trading partners have supported the country in reaching a higher level of economic self-sufficiency, Foreign Minister Sugiono stated in his annual address.

"A stable economic foundation strengthens Indonesia’s position on the world stage and supports our sustainable, proactive role. To sustain this role, Indonesia must be capable of securing its own future. This is where economic self-sufficiency becomes critical... We are diversifying our partnerships with a clear understanding of the need to reduce risks amid instability and slowing growth of our traditional partners—a process that accelerated when we joined BRICS," Sugiono emphasised during his address.

The Foreign Minister added that "in a transactional world," BRICS creates a space for cooperation among the Global South countries and enhances collective resilience.

#NEWS #Indonesia

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📞 Vladimir Putin has talked with Brazilian president over the phone, the Kremlin said.

Putin and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have discussed the situation around Venezuela. The leaders of Russia and Brazil have emphasized that the approaches to ensuring sovereignty and national interests of Venezuela coincide.

The sides have agreed to coordinate their efforts, including within the United Nations and through BRICS, to de-escalate tensions in Latin America and other regions of the world, the Kremlin press service reported.

‘India approaches its BRICS chairship with a humanity-first, people-centric approach’ — Jaishankar

During the unveiling of the BRICS India 2026 logo and website, he outlined a vision of resilience, innovation and sustainability

Lotus with multi-coloured petals becomes the logo for India's BRICS Chairship

India has unveiled the official logo and website for its 2026 BRICS Chairship. The symbol chosen by New Delhi is a lotus flower with petals in the BRICS colours: blue, yellow, gold, green, and red.

The key focus areas of India's Chairship will be sustainability, innovation, cooperation, and sustainable development. During the launch ceremony, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar noted that India will chair BRICS in the year the group marks its 20th anniversary.

"India sees BRICS as a constructive forum for dialogue and progress, complementing the wider multilateral system and based on the principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and consensus," he stated. "India will work to ensure its chairship is inclusive, practical, people-centric, and results-oriented."

#NEWS #India

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Cooperation Between BRICS Navies is Necessity of Our Time: South African Representative

The unfolding situation across the world's oceans demands coordinated action by the BRICS naval forces, Ndwakhulu Thomas Thamaha, the commander of the South African Navy's Joint Task Force, declared at the international naval exercise "Will for Peace 2026."

"These exercises are a declaration of intent by the BRICS group of countries, a demonstration of our collective determination to work together. They aim to ensure the security of shipping lanes and maritime economic activities," he noted.

🪖 Ships from five BRICS countries—South Africa, Russia, Iran, China, and the United Arab Emirates—are participating in the maneuvers in South African territorial waters.

Representatives from Indonesia and Ethiopia are taking part as observers. China is providing operational command of the maneuvers, which are taking place from January 9 to 16.

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Manege Exhibition Hall in St. Petersburg plans joint projects with BRICS countries

The Manege Central Exhibition Hall intends to develop joint exhibition activities with the BRICS nations in the coming years.

This was announced by the institution's director, Anna Yalova:

"Manege is preparing international projects for 2027, though we are not yet ready to disclose specific details," Yalova stated in response to a question about collaboration with international partners.

"Of course, we maintain ties with other BRICS countries and plan exhibition activities both at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall and for presenting our own collections abroad," she added.

The Manege Central Exhibition Hall is one of the largest exhibition venues in the historic centre of St. Petersburg. It showcases Russian and international art and organises educational events for diverse audiences.

#NEWS #culture

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Russia supports a new candidate for BRICS membership

Russia views Thailand as one of the most promising candidates for joining BRICS. The final decision, however, will be made by consensus among all members of the group, stated Russian Ambassador to Thailand Yevgeny Tomikhin.

"From the moment of acquiring the status of a partner state, the Thai authorities have stated that they will strive for full membership. In particular, in December, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikondet Phalangkun noted that Bangkok understands the importance of the kingdom joining the BRICS. This decision is to be made by consensus among the group's members. Given that India will assume the BRICS Chairship in 2026, New Delhi will make official comments on this topic. As for Russia, from the very beginning, we considered Thailand as a strong candidate for joining BRICS," Tomikhin said.

Above all, by aspiring to join BRICS, Bangkok is effectively investing in its own status, noted Alexander Korolev, Candidate of Political Sciences and Deputy Director of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies based at HSE University:

"On the one hand, Thailand is considered an official military and political ally of the United States, but, like many middle powers, it seeks to pursue a policy of balancing between different centres of power. In Thailand's perception, it is a centre of power led by Russia and China. Therefore, joining BRICS would also mean strengthening its ties with Russia and China as major powers, in addition to the United States," explained the expert.

#NEWS #Thailand

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India’s TVET system: historical legacies, structural challenges, and reform opportunities

CERE TrendWatch is a series publishing concise analytical notes with infographics on key themes in education and skills development across emerging economies. Each issue spotlights major trends and policy insights to inform research and decision-making.

The third issue of CERE TrendWatch examines the evolution of India’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system, situating it within the country’s post-colonial development trajectory and highly segmented labour market. The analysis emphasises how institutional legacies, demographic pressures, and fragmented governance structures shape current outcomes and reform prospects.

The author is Santosh Mehrotra, Visiting Professor, Centre for Development Studies, University of Bath

📎 Read the issue

#ANALYTICS #education

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