18th BRICS Summit 2026: India to Host Leaders in New Delhi in September

Why in News?

India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026, under its BRICS Chairship for 2026.

Important Point

• The summit assumes particular importance as 2026 marks 20 years since the formation of BRIC in 2006. India assumed the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026, and a wide range of ministerial, diplomatic and sectoral engagements have been organised in the run-up to the leaders’ summit.
• India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

What is BRICS?

BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies that seeks to strengthen cooperation in areas such as global governance, trade, finance, development, technology, security and people-to-people relations.

The grouping originated as BRIC, comprising:

• B – Brazil
• R – Russia
• I – India
• C – China

The term BRIC gained prominence in the early 2000s, while political cooperation among the four countries began taking institutional shape in 2006. The first BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa subsequently joined the grouping, and BRIC became BRICS. Over the following years, BRICS developed into an important platform for emerging economies and countries of the Global South.

Expansion of BRICS

• BRICS has undergone major expansion in recent years, transforming itself from a five-country grouping into a broader platform of emerging economies.
• The expansion has increased the grouping’s geographical reach across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
• This transformation is significant because BRICS increasingly seeks to provide a platform for emerging and developing countries to participate more effectively in debates over global governance, development finance and reform of international institutions.
• The expansion also reflects the growing importance of the Global South in the changing international order.

India’s BRICS Chairship 2026

India assumed the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026.

India has previously chaired BRICS in: 2012 → 2016 → 2021 → 2026

Therefore, 2026 represents another important phase in India’s engagement with the grouping. India’s Chairship is particularly significant because it coincides with the 20th anniversary of BRICS cooperation, tracing its origins to the first BRIC-level political engagement in 2006.

Theme of India’s BRICS Chairship

The theme of India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship is: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”

The theme can be understood through four major pillars:

• Resilience: Strengthening the ability of economies and societies to deal with global shocks, supply-chain disruptions, disasters and other emerging challenges.
• Innovation: Promoting cooperation in science, technology, digital transformation and new and emerging technologies.
• Cooperation: Strengthening coordination among BRICS countries across political, economic, financial and people-to-people dimensions.
• Sustainability: Encouraging sustainable development, climate action, energy security and development pathways suited to emerging economies.

Preparations for the 18th BRICS Summit

• India’s Chairship has involved a large number of meetings and engagements across different sectors and Indian cities.
• These engagements bring together officials, ministers, diplomats, experts and other stakeholders from BRICS countries before the leaders meet at the summit.
• For example, the BRICS Young Diplomats Forum was organised by the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service in May 2026 as part of India’s BRICS Chairship. Diplomats from several BRICS countries participated in the programme.
• Such meetings help prepare the agenda, build consensus and identify areas where BRICS countries can deepen cooperation.

Bharat Mandapam

• The 18th BRICS Summit is to be hosted at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
• Bharat Mandapam is a major international convention and exhibition centre located at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• It gained global visibility when it served as the principal venue for the G20 Leaders’ Summit held under India’s G20 Presidency in September 2023.
• Hosting another major multilateral summit at Bharat Mandapam highlights New Delhi’s growing role as a venue for high-level international diplomacy.

Why is BRICS Important for India?

• Voice of the Global South: India has consistently sought greater representation for developing countries in international institutions. BRICS provides India with another platform to raise issues related to the priorities of the Global South.
• Reform of Global Governance: India supports reforms in institutions such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank to reflect contemporary economic and geopolitical realities. 
• Economic Cooperation: BRICS provides opportunities for India to expand trade, investment, infrastructure financing and economic partnerships with major emerging economies.
• Development Finance: The New Development Bank provides an additional source of financing for infrastructure and sustainable development.
• Strategic Autonomy: BRICS allows India to engage simultaneously with countries having very different strategic orientations.
• Global South Leadership: India’s BRICS Chairship complements its efforts to strengthen cooperation among developing countries and to bring their concerns into global decision-making.

BRICS and the Changing Global Order

• The importance of BRICS has increased as the global economic and political system has become increasingly multipolar. Emerging economies are demanding a greater role in institutions that were largely shaped after the Second World War.
• BRICS therefore represents a wider debate over: Representation → Development Finance → Global Governance → Multipolarity
• The grouping does not function as a military alliance. Instead, it primarily operates as a platform for consultation and cooperation among countries with different political systems, economic structures and strategic interests.

Challenges before BRICS

Despite its growing global profile, BRICS faces several internal and external challenges.

• Diverse national interests: BRICS countries do not always have identical strategic or economic priorities.
• India-China differences: Continuing bilateral tensions between India and China can complicate consensus-building within the grouping.
• Expansion and consensus: A larger membership increases BRICS’ global representation but may also make decision-making more complex.
• Geopolitical differences: Members maintain different relationships with the United States, Europe and other major powers.
• Institutional effectiveness: BRICS must convert declarations and summit commitments into measurable outcomes.
• Economic asymmetry: Significant differences exist among members in terms of economic size, trade dependence and financial capacity.

Significance of the 18th BRICS Summit

The New Delhi Summit will be important for several reasons.

• First, it comes during the 20th anniversary year of BRICS cooperation.
• Second, it provides India an opportunity to shape the agenda of an expanded BRICS.
• Third, the summit can strengthen India’s role as a bridge between major powers and countries of the Global South.
• Fourth, issues such as multilateral reform, sustainable development, technology, economic resilience and development finance are likely to remain important areas of discussion.
• Finally, India’s Chairship provides an opportunity to emphasise practical cooperation rather than allowing BRICS to be viewed merely through the lens of geopolitical competition.

Way Forward

• BRICS to remain relevant, it needs to balance its expanding membership with effective decision-making and practical cooperation.
• India can use its Chairship to promote consensus-based, development-oriented and inclusive BRICS cooperation.

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