NEW DELHI: India is hosting the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026, bringing together leaders of the expanded BRICS grouping at a time of major geopolitical, economic and technological change. The summit is being held at Bharat Mandapam under India’s fourth BRICS Chairship.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading India’s engagement with the grouping. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the prominent leaders attending the summit. The meeting is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation among emerging economies, advancing the interests of the Global South and finding practical solutions in areas such as trade, energy, technology, climate action and global governance.
BRICS Summit 2026: Date, Venue and Theme
- Summit: 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit
- Dates: September 12–13, 2026
- Venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
- Host: India
- BRICS Chair: India
- Theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”
- Guiding approach: “Humanity First”
According to the Government of India, the theme reflects India’s emphasis on resilience, innovation, sustainable development and institutional effectiveness. The presidency also aims to make BRICS a constructive, solutions-oriented platform while giving greater attention to the priorities of developing countries.
Which Countries Are Members of BRICS?
BRICS now has 11 full members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
India’s official BRICS backgrounder says the 11 members together represent about 49.5% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade. The expansion has given BRICS a much wider geographic footprint across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
BRICS Has Expanded Rapidly
The grouping began as BRIC, comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa subsequently joined, turning BRIC into BRICS. A major expansion took place in January 2024, when Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE became full members. Indonesia became the 11th full member in January 2025.
BRICS also created a Partner Country framework. Ten countries joined this framework during 2025: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The partner framework provides another channel for structured engagement without changing full-membership status.
What Will BRICS Leaders Discuss?
1. Global Governance and the Global South
Reform of international institutions and a stronger voice for developing countries are central to the broader BRICS agenda. Members have repeatedly called for a more representative and balanced international system, including reforms in global financial institutions and greater representation for emerging economies.
2. Trade, Investment and Supply Chains
Economic cooperation will remain a major focus. Discussions are expected to cover intra-BRICS trade, investment, resilient supply chains, logistics, customs cooperation and the internationalisation of small and medium enterprises.
3. Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Innovation
Digital cooperation, artificial intelligence, research, startups and emerging technologies are increasingly important to BRICS. India’s 2026 chairship has promoted networks connecting startups, incubators, research institutions and investors across member countries.
4. Energy, Climate and Sustainability
Energy security, climate resilience, renewable energy, smart grids, energy storage and sustainable urban development are also part of India’s BRICS agenda. Earlier ministerial discussions under the 2026 chairship produced initiatives relating to smart grids, energy storage and climate-resilient infrastructure.
5. Food and Agricultural Cooperation
India has promoted cooperation on climate-resilient agriculture, digital agriculture, seeds, genetic resources and agro-ecology. These initiatives are intended to improve food security and strengthen agricultural resilience across BRICS economies.
Modi-Putin Talks: Energy, Trade and Regional Security
On September 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit. According to the Press Information Bureau, the two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation covering political, economic, defence, energy, space, skills and people-to-people ties.
The two leaders also discussed India-Russia engagement within BRICS and exchanged views on regional and global developments, including conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region and their impact on maritime trade and the safety of Indian seafarers. Modi reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward in resolving conflicts.
Putin also invited Modi to Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit. Modi accepted the invitation, with dates to be finalized through diplomatic channels.
Xi Jinping’s India Visit Adds Strategic Importance
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s participation gives the New Delhi summit additional diplomatic significance. His presence provides an opportunity for India and China to continue high-level engagement while both countries participate in a wider multilateral platform.
The summit comes against the backdrop of broader efforts to manage differences between India and China and expand areas of cooperation where interests overlap. Any bilateral engagement on the sidelines of BRICS will therefore be closely watched in the region.
India’s BRICS Presidency: More Than 350 Meetings
India assumed the BRICS Chairship on January 1, 2026. During the year, more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements were held across 25 Indian cities, covering the political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people pillars of BRICS cooperation.
Among the initiatives highlighted by the Indian government are cooperation networks for digital agriculture, healthy lifestyles, traditional and complementary medicine, mental health, skilling, smart grids and energy storage, urban mobility, MSMEs, startups, scientific research and global value chains.
Bharat Innovates: India Showcases Deep-Tech Strength
As part of the summit programme, the BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition is being held at Bharat Mandapam on September 11–12. The event showcases 37 Indian deep-tech startups and ventures and provides opportunities for business-to-business meetings, technology partnerships, investment discussions and international market access.
The exposition is aligned with India’s emphasis on innovation and startup ecosystems under its BRICS presidency. It also connects the BRICS Business Forum with India’s higher-education and deep-tech ecosystem.
Why the 2026 BRICS Summit Matters
The New Delhi summit comes at a time when the global economy is facing fragmentation, geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption and climate-related pressures. BRICS members represent major energy producers, large consumer markets, manufacturing centres and rapidly growing economies.
For India, the challenge is to build consensus among a diverse group of countries while keeping the organisation focused on practical cooperation. New Delhi is seeking to position BRICS as a platform for development and solutions rather than simply as an opposing bloc to existing Western institutions.
What to Watch From the New Delhi Summit
- The final New Delhi Declaration and its commitments.
- India-China engagement on the sidelines of the summit.
- India-Russia cooperation on energy, trade and strategic issues.
- BRICS positions on global governance and reform of international institutions.
- Trade, supply-chain resilience and cooperation among emerging markets.
- Technology, artificial intelligence and startup cooperation.
- Energy security, climate action and sustainable development.
- Future expansion and the role of BRICS partner countries.
BRICS 2026: The Bigger Picture
BRICS has evolved from a four-country economic grouping into a much broader platform spanning Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Its expansion has increased its demographic and economic weight, while also making consensus more complex.
India’s 2026 presidency is therefore being closely watched not only for summit-level announcements but also for whether the grouping can translate its growing size into concrete cooperation in trade, technology, development, energy and global governance.
NewsNationOnline will continue to track the latest developments from the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, including major leader-level meetings and decisions emerging from the two-day summit.
Sources: Press Information Bureau, Government of India; Ministry of External Affairs; BRICS India 2026. Images in this article are official PIB/BRICS 2026 graphics and are credited in their captions.
Related reading: What key issues of the BRICS Summit to be held in New Delhi in September? | Explained
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