New Delhi: India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders and senior representatives of the expanded BRICS grouping at a time of heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty. The summit is the centrepiece of India’s BRICS chairship for 2026.
India’s theme: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability
India’s BRICS chairship is built around the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The agenda focuses on strengthening resilience against global shocks, promoting innovation and technology cooperation, expanding economic engagement and advancing sustainable development. India has also placed a strong emphasis on a people-centric “Humanity First” approach.
An expanded 11-member bloc
BRICS has evolved from its original five members—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—into an expanded grouping of 11 members, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. The expansion has significantly increased the bloc’s demographic, economic and geopolitical weight.
Modi-Xi meeting draws major attention
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to travel to India for the summit. A meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi is expected to receive considerable diplomatic attention as India and China seek to improve communication while managing their differences. China has said it wants to strengthen bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term perspective.
Putin’s participation adds another strategic dimension
Russian President Vladimir Putin is also attending the summit. India and Russia are expected to discuss bilateral trade, energy cooperation, defence ties and nuclear cooperation. Their economic relationship, including India’s substantial energy imports from Russia, remains an important component of the bilateral partnership.
Wars and geopolitical tensions dominate the backdrop
The summit comes against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war, the continuing conflict in the Middle East, tensions involving Iran and major disruptions to global trade and energy routes. The situation is particularly sensitive because Iran is a BRICS member while other members have different strategic relationships and positions on the Middle East crisis.
Reducing dependence on the US dollar
One of the longer-term BRICS ambitions is to increase the use of local currencies in trade and develop alternative payment mechanisms. The objective is to reduce dependence on dollar-dominated financial systems. However, differences among the members’ financial systems and national interests make rapid implementation difficult.
Startups, supply chains and economic cooperation
The summit is also expected to advance practical economic initiatives. Proposals under consideration include a BRICS Incubator Network, a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund and a framework for logistics and supply-chain cooperation. These initiatives are aimed at connecting startups, improving access to finance and making global supply chains more resilient.
India’s fourth BRICS chairship
India assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026, for the fourth time. Under its chairship, more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been organised across more than 25 cities. The programme has focused on three broad pillars: political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
The New Delhi summit therefore represents an important test for BRICS. Beyond political symbolism, the key question will be whether the expanded grouping can overcome internal differences and produce practical agreements on trade, finance, energy, technology and global governance.
For India, the summit offers an opportunity to strengthen its position among emerging powers while maintaining its wider diplomatic relationships with both the Global South and Western economies.
