Bangladesh, July 31 -- The Arctic is no longer a distant expanse of ice, isolated from the rest of the world. It has become one of the defining frontiers of the 21st century, where climate change, geopolitics, scientific research, maritime trade, and energy security converge. What happens in the Arctic increasingly shapes weather patterns, economic stability, and environmental security across continents. As the polar ice melts at an unprecedented rate, its consequences are felt thousands of kilometers away-from the monsoon-dependent economies of South Asia to the drought-prone regions of Africa and the heatwaves affecting Europe.

Against this backdrop, Indias leadership of BRICS in 2026 presents an opportunity to redefine how emerging ec...