Taking on the might of the wealthy West, the five major emerging economies that founded the BRICS alliance – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – have lofty aspirations to expand the group's membership and shake up the America-led world order.

With the alliance rapidly expanding, read on to find out what the BRICS group is doing to counter Western dominance and how much of a threat it might pose in the future.

All dollar amounts in US dollars