New Delhi, Sept. 14 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured a major diplomatic triumph on Saturday as leaders of the expanded BRICS bloc unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration, enshrining support for India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, pushing back against Western trade barriers, and initiating concrete moves toward financial clearing mechanisms that bypass the US dollar.

The 140-point joint declaration, agreed on the opening day of the two-day summit at the Bharat Mandapam convention centre, marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the grouping.

The document capped months of extensive negotiations led by New Delhi across more than 400 meetings in 30 Indian cities, framing India as the cent...