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New Delhi: The national capital is gearing up for a major diplomatic spectacle as the 18th BRICS Summit is set to take place at Bharat Mandapam on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries along with other prominent global leaders under India’s presidency.
This year’s summit will be held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” with discussions expected to focus on pressing global and regional issues, strengthening cooperation among member nations and advancing shared economic and development priorities.
India’s BRICS chairship has already witnessed more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements across over 25 cities, while Mumbai will host a meeting of BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors on September 9 and 10 ahead of the summit. Founded as an informal grouping in 2006, BRICS held its first formal summit in 2009 and has since evolved into an important platform for emerging economies; the grouping currently has 11 members Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
India, one of the founding members, is holding the BRICS presidency for the fourth time, having previously chaired the grouping in 2012, 2016 and 2021, while 2026 also marks two decades since the formation of BRICS. For India, the summit carries significant strategic importance as it provides a platform to engage with major powers such as China and Russia while deepening ties with developing nations and emerging economies, alongside discussions on reforms in global institutions such as the United Nations, IMF and World Bank to better reflect the growing influence of emerging economies.
Particular attention is expected to be on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s participation, with the summit potentially providing an important platform for dialogue between India and China amid complex bilateral ties. As chair, India is also expected to push greater cooperation on issues such as simplifying cross-border export payment mechanisms, reducing certification-related hurdles and improving financing for infrastructure projects, making the summit an important moment for diplomacy, economic cooperation and India’s growing role in shaping the agenda of the emerging global order.
