India is set to host the 18th Brics Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders of Brics member and partner countries, outreach invitees and heads of international organisations.
The summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam and will mark the culmination of India’s Brics chairship in 2026. The meeting is expected to provide a platform for discussions on political, economic, security and developmental issues of common interest.
India assumed the Brics chairship on January 1, 2026. This is the country’s fourth time leading the grouping, after previous chairships in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
India’s Brics theme
India’s chairship is based on the theme: ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’.
The four pillars are expected to guide the discussions at the summit. Under ‘resilience’, India has focused on strengthening cooperation in areas such as health, agriculture, food and energy security, disaster management and supply chains. The ‘innovation’ pillar covers startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), science and technology, entrepreneurship, research and development, digital public infrastructure (DPI) and artificial intelligence, an official statement said.
The ‘cooperation’ pillar focuses on strengthening multilateralism, pushing for reforms in global governance institutions and promoting practical cooperation on development issues. The ‘sustainability’ pillar focuses on clean and renewable energy, climate action, climate adaptation, nature-based solutions and sustainable consumption.
More than 350 meetings held during India’s chairship
India’s year-long chairship has involved extensive engagement across different levels. More than 350 meetings have been held since the country assumed the chairship. These include meetings of foreign ministers, national security advisers, other ministers, senior officials, working groups and business and people-to-people platforms.
Security, global governance among key areas
Security has been an important part of India’s chairship. At the Brics National Security Advisers’ meeting in New Delhi in June, participating countries discussed non-traditional security challenges, including terrorism, cybersecurity, energy and food security, supply-chain resilience and the impact of new technologies.
The meeting also reviewed cooperation on counter-terrorism and security in the use of information and communication technologies.
Earlier, the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in May discussed global and regional developments, reforms to global governance and the multilateral system, besides the future direction of Brics as the grouping approaches its 20th year.
The meeting resulted in a Chair’s Statement and Outcome Document reflecting areas of consensus among participating countries.
Focus on the Global South
A key objective of India’s chairship has been to bring the developmental priorities of the Global South into the Brics agenda. The 18th Summit will build on initiatives covering farmer-focused agriculture, people-centred urban development, future-ready mobility, skilled workers, women-led development and wider access to energy.
Other areas include global health, traditional and integrative medicine, disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, MSMEs, startups, global value chains, anti-corruption and anti-drug cooperation.
Jan Bhagidari: Taking Brics beyond government meetings
Another feature of India’s chairship has been the emphasis on ‘Jan Bhagidari’, or people’s participation. India has organised initiatives such as the Brics Solidarity Run, Brics Film Festival, Brics Bazaar and Brics Quiz, along with cultural, academic, youth and business programmes, the official statement said.
