With Xi Jinping Skipping BRICS Meet For First Time, PM Modi Set To Take Centre Stage At The Summit In Brazil's Rio

As the BRICS bloc meets in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro on 6 and 7 July for its annual summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take centre stage, with Chinese President Xi Jinping skipping the event for the first time.

Xi’s absence, along with that of Russian President Vladimir Putin and several others, has elevated expectations from India and Brazil to lead the agenda of the 10-member group, which now includes Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, UAE, and Indonesia.

Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs Dammu Ravi had on Sunday (30 June) downplayed Xi’s absence, stating that PM Modi’s participation reflects “solidarity” with the bloc and an opportunity to deepen ties within the Global South. India is slated to host and chair the BRICS summit in 2026, putting Modi in a prime position to shape the bloc’s direction amid a shifting geopolitical landscape.

Xi's absence from the annual summit of the influential forum — co-founded by India, China, Russia and Brazil in 2009 and expanded in 2024 and early 2025 to increase number of members to 10 — for the first time has sparked speculation.

Beijing reportedly informed the Brazilian government that Xi had a scheduling conflict. Instead, Premier Li Qiang is expected to lead the Chinese delegation, as he did at the G20 summit in India in 2023.

Xi’s recent meetings with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — once during a state visit to Brasília last November and again in May during the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing — were reportedly cited as reasons for his absence from the Rio Summit.

According to reports, there are speculation that Xi’s decision might also have been influenced by Lula’s invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state dinner following the summit — a move that some interpret as potentially diminishing Xi’s perceived prominence at the event.

With both Xi and Putin absent—China represented by Premier Li Qiang and Russia by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov— the group is focusing on practical cooperation in less controversial areas to avoid internal divisions, SCMP reported.

The bloc’s expanded membership brings new opportunities and frictions, especially as members navigate sensitive issues such as UN Security Council reform and dollar independence.

This comes as consensus-building remains a challenge for the expanded group.

A previous attempt by Brazil, India, and South Africa to push for permanent UNSC seats failed to produce a joint statement.

India may use this summit to advocate stronger language on counterterrorism in the aftermath of 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 innocent people, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists, and India's Operation Sindoor against terror infra in Pakistan and PoK.

Indian officials are confident the final BRICS declaration will reflect shared understanding on this issue.

However, China is likely to oppose the inclusion of anti-terror language in a bid to defend Pakistan due to its close relationship with Islamabad.

Indian officials have also clarified that while Global South countries were “looking for alternatives” in trade, it wasn’t a “de-dollarisation issue”.

The Rio summit is taking place amid growing questions about BRICS’ ability to act as a coherent voice for the Global South.

To avoid internal divisions, Brazil is keeping the summit’s focus on common ground—issues like healthcare, green energy, and fair trade.

Security topics, including India’s push for stronger counterterrorism language, are still being worked out behind the scenes.

With new members in the mix and key leaders absent, questions remain about how united the group really is.

Much now depends on whether the leaders who are present—especially Prime Minister Modi—can bring the bloc together and keep the momentum going.

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