Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on September 12 and 13, 2026. This summit will mark the completion of two decades since the group’s inception and will also serve as the first major leaders’ meeting for the expanded BRICS+.
A day prior, on September 11, sessions of the BRICS Business Forum and the Women’s Business Alliance will also be held at the same venue. India has already organized over 350 BRICS-related meetings and high-level dialogues across more than 25 cities nationwide.
Key Agenda and Theme of the Summit
The central theme of India’s 2026 presidency is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability,” reflecting the vision of “Humanity First.” Discussions will focus on enhancing international cooperation in trade, digital technology, finance, energy security, and global governance reform.
Various sessions are expected to address issues such as robust global supply chains, cross-border payment systems, increased use of national currencies, MSME development, digital trade, artificial intelligence, energy security, climate resilience, development finance, and the expansion of the New Development Bank. A joint leaders’ declaration is likely to be adopted by consensus at the conclusion of the summit.
Which Leaders Will Attend?
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attendance at the summit has been confirmed. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to participate. This will be his first visit to India since his informal meeting with PM Modi in Mamallapuram in 2019, making any potential bilateral talks diplomatically significant.
Other key leaders include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also expected to attend.
Expanded BRICS and India’s Previous Presidencies
With Indonesia set to become a full member in 2025, BRICS now comprises 11 full member nations: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE. Additionally, 10 partner countries—Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam—participate in the framework. India has previously held the BRICS presidency in 2012, 2016, and 2021.
During these tenures, it laid the foundation for the New Development Bank (2012), increased the focus on counter-terrorism and security (2016), and sustained multilateral cooperation amidst the pandemic (2021). As the host of the expanded grouping in 2026, India is emphasizing the advancement of Global South priorities and aiming to make BRICS a strong voice for institutional reform, financial inclusion, and sustainable development. The New Delhi summit will place India at the centre of global discourse and provide a platform for crucial bilateral dialogues with key partners such as Russia and China.
