Xi's thinking, Modi's linking, Putin's sitting—Who's really driving the global agenda? Harsh Goenka stirs the pot

Industrialist Harsh Goenka stirred up social media with a cheeky post on X (formerly Twitter), questioning who’s really steering the global agenda. The post featured a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

“When Xi’s thinking, Modi’s linking, and Putin’s just sitting — who’s really driving the global agenda?” Goenka wrote, blending humor with sharp twist.

The post quickly went viral, drawing reactions from netizens who praised the wit while offering their own takes on the dynamics between world leaders.


One user said, "All three of them together. A new world order is emerging."


Another user commented, "Putin stole the show and proved that he could wrestle with the West, something neither Xi nor Modi had been able to do successfully."


A third user added, "The strategist—he who's thinking... The CEO. The organizer—he who's linking... only a manager. The leader (or owner)—he who's sitting... The world leader."


And the unexpected response? Elon Musk!

— prettypadmaja (@prettypadmaja)

All about BRICS

The term BRIC was coined in 2001 by Jim O'Neill, then chief economist at Goldman Sachs, in a research paper highlighting the immense growth potential of Brazil, Russia, India, and China in the 21st century.

Over time, Russia, India, and China began holding formal meetings, gradually expanding the group to include Brazil and later adding South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE. Saudi Arabia is also expected to join but has yet to do so formally.

This year’s BRICS summit is being attended by more than 20 leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.