Economist Surjit Bhalla argues that BRICS’ economic rise looks far weaker once China is excluded. He says India should judge the bloc by measurable economic results and focus on trade, investment and reforms.

China has done much of the heavy lifting behind BRICS’ growing economic clout, according to economist Surjit Bhalla, who argues that the bloc’s rise looks far less impressive when China is taken out of the equation.

BRICS, which brings together major emerging economies including India, China, Brazil, Russia and South Africa, has expanded in recent years and now has 11 members. Its share of global income rose from 21.9% in 2011 to 28.9% in 2025.

In a Substack post titled “BRICS: A Club of One”, Bhalla examined the bloc’s economic performance using data on income and trade. His central argument is that BRICS’ growing global economic footprint is being driven overwhelmingly by China, rather than by broad-based gains across its members.

China increased its share of world income from 10% in 2011 to 17.4% in 2025.

The contrast is even sharper in trade. BRICS’ share of global goods exports rose from 23% in 2011 to 25% in 2023, but excluding China, the share actually fell from 12.4% to 10.1%.