India hosts expanded BRICS summit with eleven nations in New Delhi

The 18th summit of BRICS will convene at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together heads of state and government from the expanded 11-member bloc as India steers discussions on trade, technology, and global governance reform.

India assumes BRICS chairmanship for fourth time

India took on the role of Chair of BRICS on January 1, 2026, marking its fourth turn at the helm after previously holding the position in 2012, 2016, and 2021. The summit will gather the major emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, alongside newer members who joined in recent expansions.

World leaders confirmed for New Delhi gathering

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the world leaders who will arrive in New Delhi for the summit. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is also widely expected to attend the BRICS summit before visiting the U.S. for a summit meeting with President Donald Trump later this month.

BRICS expanded to 11 members with the inclusion of Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Ethiopia in 2024, and Indonesia in 2025. The UAE will be represented by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while Brazil will be represented by its Foreign Affairs Minister, Mauro Vieira.

South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will participate in the summit. From Southeast Asia, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Vietnam Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will also be in Delhi to attend the BRICS summit.

African and Latin American representation

Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo, Nigerian Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima, and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye will also participate in the summit. NDB President Dilma Rousseff and Uruguay's Foreign Affairs Minister, Mario Lubetkin, will represent Latin American interests.

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Foreign Affairs Minister of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov, Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will also be part of the summit. Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla will attend as well.

International organisation heads join deliberations

Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will attend the summit. Additionally, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also participate in the 18th BRICS Summit.

Theme centres on resilience and sustainability

As outlined in India's presidency documents, the summit is centred around core values such as inclusive growth, shared responsibility, practical cooperation, and a people centric appoach. The theme of 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability' reflects a humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit.

Key agenda items for 2026 summit

India is heading to the summit with a focus on strengthening supply chains, cooperation in trade, cross-border payments, technology and artificial intelligence, energy, development finance and global governance reform. Collaborations in agriculture, innovation, and health are expected to be highlighted, as indicated by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar when he presented India's priority areas at the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting.

Discussions on clean energy and sustainable growth are also expected to be on the agenda. Cross-border payments are expected to gain significant focus in New Delhi, as India advocates for increased utilisation of national currencies in trade.

India navigates complex diplomatic terrain

As the Chair of the BRICS Summit, India has the responsibility of facilitating discussions and coordinating negotiations among member nations. This marks a crucial juncture for India, given the current geopolitical landscape marked by tensions and conflicts in areas like Iran and Ukraine.

Moreover, India's position as a leader in BRICS intersects with its memberships in other prominent groupings such as the Quad and the G20. This means that India's actions and leadership style during the summit will be closely scrutinised by not only BRICS members but also by the international community, including the United States.

While discussions around increasing the use of national currencies in trade are likely to be received positively within the BRICS framework, these topics may not resonate well with the U.S., especially considering its economic sanctions on countries like Iran and Russia. Thus, India will need to navigate these complexities carefully to maintain its diplomatic relationships while pushing forward the agenda of the BRICS Summit.

The summit's outcomes will signal how the expanded BRICS bloc intends to coordinate on economic cooperation and global governance at a time when member nations face divergent pressures from competing geopolitical alignments.

Source: The Hindu