How the expansion of practical cooperation within BRICS is changing investment opportunities and risks for Russian regions and companies

Catalyst: a series of applied initiatives — the creation of regional investment centers for BRICS countries in the Orenburg region, municipal twinning with Chinese ports, promotion of projects in Algeria, as well as expert proposals to reform the grain market and statements about joint space projects — is moving BRICS cooperation from summit rhetoric to concrete investment cases and infrastructure road maps.

How are regions and local businesses reacting to the promotion of practical BRICS projects?

Short answer: regions are actively engaging — they are creating project attraction centers, assembling portfolios and signing initial residency agreements.

• Orenburg created a "Center for Investments from BRICS Countries" with a portfolio of more than 20 projects and a focus on agricultural clusters, construction, mining and petrochemicals; following the first half of 2025, fixed-capital investment in the region grew by 11.7 billion rubles, and the planned annual volume reached 510 billion rubles (an increase of 23 billion rubles) — as reports Time56.ru. Among concrete outcomes is the Russian-Indian JV "API-M", which obtained resident status in the Orenburzhye special economic zone (SEZ) and aims to produce measurement and control equipment for the oil and gas sector (Time56.ru).
• At the same time regions are developing international municipal ties: Chelyabinsk signed a twinning agreement with the Chinese port of Dalian, opening direct logistics and industrial-trade channels for local companies — as writes Komsomolskaya Pravda—Chelyabinsk.
• In Tatarstan officials discuss systemic barriers to attracting foreign capital (absence of "passport-for-investment" programs, limited public-private cofinancing mechanisms), while fixed-capital investment is growing and exchanges along the BRICS track and international forums are active — as notes Vverh-Tatarstan.ru.

(Sources: Time56.ru, Global56.ru, Komsomolskaya Pravda—Chelyabinsk, Vverh-Tatarstan.ru.)

What systemic consequences for export structure and market infrastructure are possible in the medium term?

Short answer: reorientation of export channels and attempts to create alternative market infrastructure are possible, which would change logistics, pricing and financial settlements in several sectors.

• Agrifood: a BRICS expert group and Russian analysts propose to "reformat" the global grain architecture — through coordinated antimonopoly measures or by creating a BRICS grain exchange — which, according to Higher School of Economics professor Alexey Ivanov, could in theory double Russia's export potential if market structure changes; such theses are argued by TASS and reported by Lenta.ru.
• > "If the structure of the global grain market were more competitive and organized on more transparent principles, Russia could substantially increase its export volumes, twofold or more" — Alexey Ivanov (TASS).
• Energy and raw materials: activation of bilateral projects (for example, large-scale cooperation with Algeria in the gas sector, Sonatrach's interest in new fields and proven reserves of 4.55 trillion m³) creates alternative supply routes and opportunities for Russian contractors and service companies, as report Izvestia.
• Infrastructure and superstructure: the foreign ministry's statements about readiness to work on a BRICS satellite constellation and joint space projects signal a trend toward creating independent technological and observation infrastructure, which affects investment demand in IT, communications and remote sensing services (Molva).

(Sources: TASS, Lenta.ru, Izvestia, Molva.)

What tactical risks and immediate opportunities should investors and exporters consider right now?

Short answer: the prospect of rapid market access and state support is accompanied by managerial, logistical and regulatory risks; specific decisions depend on the sector.

Opportunities * Regional "gateways" to BRICS markets: centers like Orenburg's reduce transactional costs and assemble ready projects (portfolio >20 proposals); for exporters and EPC contractors this is an accelerated channel to counterparties in China, India and Brazil (Time56.ru, Global56.ru). * Energy and mineral projects with new partners: Algerian demand for Russian technologies (nuclear, gas equipment, services) and Sonatrach's production expansion plans are opportunities for Russian tech suppliers (Izvestia). * Logistics reequipping: municipal ties with ports (Dalian—Chelyabinsk) simplify export chains and import substitution for industrial clusters (Komsomolskaya Pravda—Chelyabinsk). * Diversification of financial instruments: discussions about a BRICS grain exchange and synchronization of carbon markets create niche trading and hedging opportunities for traders and agribusinesses (TASS, Forbes/COP30).

Risks * Structural barriers in the global grain market: dominance of large traders (ABCD+) maintains price vulnerability and logistics dependence — without coordination the "doubling exports" effect is unlikely (TASS, Lenta.ru). * Regulatory and institutional opacity in regions: lack of capital-attraction programs (such as "citizenship-for-investment"), weak public-private cofinancing and complex currency logistics increase transactional risks for foreign investors (Vverh-Tatarstan.ru). * Sanctions and payment barriers: deeper external political integration runs parallel to existing risks of access to Western markets and financing; this raises the importance of localization of chains and finding alternative payment and insurance mechanisms (see the general logic of regional initiatives). * Timing and execution: intentions (grain exchange, satellite constellation) are already under discussion, but launch requires coordination and infrastructure investment — statements by Ryabkov and experts indicate understanding but insufficient short-term solutions (Lenta.ru / TASS).

(Sources: TASS, Lenta.ru, Vverh-Tatarstan.ru, Izvestia, Molva.)

What should a manager do: operational scenarios for 6–18 months

Short answer: combine proactive commercial preparation with monitoring of institutional signals and diversification of counterparties.

1. Rapid portfolio check: * Assess projects in attractive regions (Orenburg, Tatarstan, Chelyabinsk) for compliance with joint-venture requirements and SEZ residency — contacts and localization proposals increase the chances of incentives (Time56.ru). 2. Trade and logistics diversification: * Develop alternative routes and partnerships with Chinese port clusters (Dalian) and underdeveloped African markets (Algeria) — this reduces dependence on traditional trade chains (Komsomolskaya Pravda—Chelyabinsk, Izvestia). 3. Agrifood track: * For producers and traders — participate in benchmarking for standards of a BRICS exchange platform and prepare operations for transparency and clearing requirements; without cooperation within BRICS, scaling to new volumes will be difficult (TASS, Lenta.ru). 4. Technological and service niches: * Consider participation in space, remote-sensing and medical projects (Sirius, Lavrov initiatives): contracts for data and services create steady demand inside the bloc (MIR 24, Molva). 5. Managing sanctions and payment risk: * Accelerate localization of key suppliers, prepare alternative settlement and insurance schemes, and test cooperation with development institutions including NBR/regional BRICS banks.

(Sources: Time56.ru, Komsomolskaya Pravda—Chelyabinsk, Izvestia, MIR 24, Molva, TASS.)

Conclusion: the shift from declarations to regional projects and sectoral initiatives within BRICS creates real commercial windows — primarily for contractors in the energy sector, equipment manufacturers, logistics operators and agribusinesses prepared for joint infrastructure work. At the same time, institutional steps remain key: creating transparent trading platforms (a grain exchange), synchronizing regulatory approaches and ensuring effective payment alternatives. Company-level decisions should combine commercial activity in new corridors with strict management of regulatory and operational risks.