BRICS Podcast (EN)

The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. To draw public attention to the growing risks facing steppe, desert and dryland ecosystems and to the role of pastoral communities in protecting them, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification launched the international initiative "Silk Road Caravan" – an expedition across Eurasian rangelands with participants from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan.
TV BRICS reporter: Ekaterina Fomina

Gauteng currently accounts for around a third of the Republic of South Africa’s GDP. The province is a major transport, logistics and manufacturing hub for the country. The development of these sectors is also supported by partner experience – regional officials frequently travel abroad to study best practices. In the first five months of 2026 alone, a delegation visited Russian cities twice.TV BRICS reporter: Leonid Samuna

Johan Badenhorst spent about seven years preparing for his journey across Russia. In May 2026, the expedition set out from Murmansk – the largest city in the world north of the Arctic Circle. Over 2.5 months on the truck, the South African traveller and his team plan to cover roughly 20,000 km and visit 30 regions of Russia. The footage from the trip will form the basis of a multi-part documentary film.TV BRICS reporter: Leonid Samuna

Over the years, the New Development Bank has approved approximately 120 projects worldwide, totalling more than US$39 billion. Many of these projects are well known, including Line 6 of the Qingdao Metro in China; the large-scale Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut project in India; and, in early 2026, financing was also approved for the construction of Brazil’s largest power transmission line, the Graca Aranha – Silvania line. To ensure that every initiative supported by the international financial institution contributes to sustainable progress, an Independent Evaluation Office was established.
Do the assessment criteria vary depending on the specific characteristics of each country? In which BRICS countries will a country portfolio analysis be conducted in the near future? How is collaboration with multilateral development banks structured to harmonise assessment requirements?
Ashwani Muthoo, Director General of the Independent Evaluation Office of the New Development Bank, shared his insights on this topic in our BRICSterview.
TV BRICS reporter: Ekaterina Fomina

India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The key goal set by the government is to achieve a GDP of US$5 trillion. BRICS partners are helping to unlock the potential. Mutual trade turnover with Russia exceeded US$60 billion in 2025, and the two countries intend to increase it to US$100 billion by 2030.
What will help achieve this goal? How is India's partnership with other BRICS countries developing? What role do humanitarian projects play in shaping the BRICS expert community?
Apurv Kumar Mishra, Consultant in the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, shared his insights on this topic in our BRICSterview.
TV BRICS reporter: Ekaterina Fomina