BRICS Pushes for Self-Reliance in Energy, Food and Rare Earths: Why the Bloc’s Resource Power Matters
The BRICS grouping is increasingly looking beyond traditional economic cooperation and focusing on something that has become strategically important in a world facing wars, sanctions, tariffs and disrupted supply chains: economic self-reliance.
At the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the grouping is placing greater emphasis on strengthening cooperation in areas such as energy, food, critical minerals and trade connectivity. The objective is not simply to increase trade among member countries, but also to make their economies more resilient when international commerce is affected by geopolitical tensions or restrictions.
BRICS already possesses enormous natural-resource advantages. Its members collectively account for a major portion of global oil reserves, food production and rare earth reserves. These resources could give the grouping greater influence over industries ranging from energy and agriculture to electric vehicles, electronics and advanced manufacturing.
Why BRICS Is Focusing on Self-Reliance
Global trade has become more vulnerable to political and economic disruptions. Sanctions can restrict access to markets, tariffs can make imports more expensive, and conflicts can interfere with shipping routes.
For countries dependent on international supply chains, such disruptions can quickly affect fuel prices, food costs, industrial production and consumer goods.
This is why BRICS members are exploring ways to use their combined economic and resource strengths more effectively. Greater cooperation could allow member countries to source more essential commodities and inputs from within the wider grouping while developing alternative routes for international trade.
However, self-reliance does not necessarily mean cutting ties with Western economies or abandoning global trade. Instead, it can mean creating more options so that individual countries are less exposed to a single supplier, market or transportation route.
Rare Earths Could Become a Major BRICS Advantage
Why Rare Earth Minerals Matter
Rare earth elements have become increasingly important to the modern economy. They are used in technologies associated with electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, smartphones and defence equipment.
Their importance is expected to remain high as countries invest in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and high-technology industries.
According to figures cited in the NDTV report, BRICS countries collectively account for around 85% of the world's rare earth reserves. China alone accounts for about 48.9%, while Brazil has approximately 23.3%. India holds around 7.7%, Russia about 4.2% and South Africa around 1%.
This concentration gives BRICS an important position in the global critical-minerals landscape.
The significance, however, extends beyond simply possessing mineral deposits. Mining, processing, refining and manufacturing capabilities are equally important. Countries that can move from raw materials to higher-value products can capture a much larger share of the economic benefits.
An Opportunity for India
For India, stronger cooperation on critical minerals could support ambitions in electric mobility, renewable energy, electronics and advanced manufacturing.
The availability of resources within the BRICS ecosystem could potentially reduce some supply-chain risks. At the same time, India would need investment, technology, processing capacity and industrial infrastructure to turn mineral reserves into competitive manufacturing advantages.
This means that resource cooperation could become an important part of India's broader effort to strengthen domestic manufacturing.
BRICS Has Significant Energy Resources
Energy is another major area where BRICS possesses considerable strength.
Oil continues to play a central role in transportation, industry and global commerce. According to the figures highlighted in the report, BRICS countries together account for approximately 40.7% of proven global oil reserves.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE and Russia alone account for about 37.8% of global oil reserves.
This gives BRICS considerable weight in discussions surrounding global energy security.
Energy security is particularly important during geopolitical crises. When major shipping routes are disrupted or sanctions change the flow of commodities, countries with access to diversified energy suppliers can be in a stronger position.
For India, which is one of the world's major energy-consuming economies, stable and affordable energy supplies are especially important for economic growth.
Food Production Gives BRICS Another Strategic Advantage
A Large Share of Global Food Output
Food security is becoming increasingly important as climate events, conflicts and disruptions to transportation can affect agricultural markets.
The BRICS grouping has a major advantage in this area as well. The NDTV report states that BRICS countries account for approximately 57.4% of global food production, with China and India together responsible for nearly half of worldwide food output.
Such production capacity gives the bloc an important buffer against certain international supply shocks.
Food is also closely connected to inflation. When agricultural commodities become more expensive, consumers often feel the impact through higher food prices. Reliable production and trade networks can therefore contribute to greater economic stability.
For BRICS members, stronger agricultural cooperation could potentially improve food supply chains while creating opportunities for greater trade in agricultural products.
Alternative Trade Routes Could Reduce Supply-Chain Risks
Resources alone cannot guarantee economic security. Countries also need reliable ways to transport goods.
Recent disruptions to shipping have highlighted the importance of strategic maritime chokepoints. The Strait of Hormuz, for example, is an important route for global energy trade. Disruptions in such locations can increase shipping, fuel and freight costs and can have consequences far beyond the countries directly involved in a conflict.
BRICS countries are therefore examining alternative transport and trade corridors.
International North-South Transport Corridor
The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is one example of an alternative connectivity network.
The corridor is designed to connect different parts of Asia and Europe through multimodal transportation routes. Such networks can provide additional options when traditional routes become expensive, congested or vulnerable to disruption.
Russia has also proposed eastern and Arctic shipping routes as potential alternatives.
The broader objective is to create supply chains that have more than one pathway.
What This Could Mean for Global Trade
The growing resource strength of BRICS could gradually influence the structure of global trade.
If member countries increase cooperation in energy, food, minerals and transportation, they could become less vulnerable to disruptions originating outside the grouping.
This could also encourage greater trade among emerging economies.
However, the process will not be straightforward. BRICS members have different economic structures, political priorities and trade relationships. They also compete with one another in some sectors.
The bloc still has important dependencies on Western technology, particularly in areas such as advanced semiconductors and high-end technological systems.
Therefore, possessing large quantities of natural resources does not automatically create technological independence.
The Technology Gap Remains a Challenge
One of the biggest questions for BRICS will be whether resource strength can be converted into technological strength.
Rare earth minerals, for example, are valuable because of their role in advanced products. But simply controlling reserves is different from controlling the entire industrial chain.
The same principle applies to energy and agriculture. Producing commodities creates economic power, but processing, manufacturing, research and technology can generate substantially greater value.
For BRICS to achieve deeper economic self-reliance, investment in technology, infrastructure, research and industrial capacity will therefore remain essential.
Why the BRICS Strategy Matters for India
India occupies an important position within this changing economic landscape.
The country has substantial food-production capacity, growing manufacturing ambitions and a significant interest in securing critical minerals and reliable energy supplies.
Greater BRICS cooperation could create opportunities for Indian companies to access markets and resources across member countries.
At the same time, India has to balance cooperation with the need to strengthen its own domestic industrial capabilities.
This is particularly important because India remains dependent on imports for several industrial inputs and technologies. A stronger domestic manufacturing ecosystem would allow India to benefit more effectively from BRICS resource and trade networks.
Could BRICS Become More Economically Independent?
BRICS has many of the ingredients required for greater economic resilience: energy resources, food production, critical minerals and alternative transportation corridors.
But economic independence should be viewed as a gradual process rather than an immediate outcome.
Building mines, refineries, factories, ports, rail links and advanced technology industries takes years. Coordinating policies among several countries can also be complicated.
The more realistic objective is therefore greater diversification and resilience.
Instead of depending heavily on a small number of external suppliers or routes, BRICS members can build multiple sources of supply and multiple channels for trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BRICS trying to achieve through self-reliance?
BRICS is seeking stronger economic resilience by improving cooperation in areas including energy, food, critical minerals, supply chains and alternative trade routes.
How much of the world's rare earth reserves are held by BRICS?
According to the figures cited in the NDTV report, BRICS countries collectively account for about 85% of global rare earth reserves.
Why are rare earths important?
Rare earth elements are important inputs for several modern technologies, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, smartphones and defence-related systems.
How much of the world's oil reserves does BRICS control?
The report states that BRICS countries collectively hold approximately 40.7% of proven global oil reserves.
What role does food production play in BRICS?
BRICS countries account for approximately 57.4% of global food production, according to the figures cited in the report. This gives the grouping considerable agricultural strength.
Can BRICS become completely independent of Western technology?
Complete independence is unlikely to happen quickly. BRICS still has significant dependence on Western-made advanced semiconductors and high-end technologies. Building alternative capabilities would require substantial investment and technological development.
Conclusion
The BRICS push toward greater self-reliance reflects a changing global economic environment.
Energy, food and critical minerals are no longer viewed simply as commodities. They are increasingly connected to national security, industrial competitiveness and economic resilience. BRICS' large share of global oil reserves, food production and rare earth reserves gives the grouping a substantial resource base.
The next challenge will be turning those resources into stronger supply chains, advanced manufacturing capabilities and reliable trade networks.
For India, this could create both opportunities and challenges. Greater cooperation with BRICS members could strengthen access to energy, minerals and markets, while domestic investment in technology and manufacturing will determine how much India can benefit.
Ultimately, the significance of the BRICS strategy lies not in becoming completely isolated from the rest of the world, but in having more choices, stronger supply chains and greater resilience when global disruptions occur.