New Delhi : India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders and senior representatives from BRICS member states and partner countries for key bilateral and multilateral discussions.

The summit marks the fourth time India has assumed the BRICS chairship, following its earlier presidencies in 2012, 2016 and 2021. India took over the current chairship on January 1 as BRICS marks two decades since its establishment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been in office since 2014 and is serving his third consecutive term is hosting the summit. The gathering is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation among emerging economies and advancing the interests of the Global South.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, in office since 2013, is scheduled to attend and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi. His previous visit to India was in 2019 for the informal India China summit in Mamallapuram. He had also visited India for the 2016 BRICS Summit in Goa.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also participating in the summit and is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Modi. His last state visit to India was in December 2025 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is among the participating leaders and is expected to hold bilateral discussions with PM Modi.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who visited India in January 2023 as the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations, is also attending the summit.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian who has been in office since 2024, will participate and hold talks with Prime Minister Modi. His presence comes against the backdrop of the continuing developments in West Asia and is expected to draw close international attention.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is also attending, with his visit highlighting the longstanding civilisational and strategic ties between India and Indonesia.

He had visited India in 2025 as the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.

The summit will also see the participation of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Modi.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali are also expected to hold bilateral talks with the Indian Prime Minister.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is representing Brazil, while Saudi Arabia is represented by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Other senior representatives attending include Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

With a high level international delegation in attendance, the two day New Delhi summit is set to provide a platform for discussions on economic cooperation, global governance, development, connectivity and issues concerning the Global South, besides a series of bilateral engagements on the sidelines.

Report – Mudasir Maqbool