The 2026 BRICS Summit is set to take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, with India hosting the 18th Leaders’ Summit at Bharat Mandapam. The meeting comes as BRICS marks 20 years of its development and as the expanded group faces major questions around global governance, trade, energy security, technology and geopolitical tensions.
India is chairing BRICS in 2026 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with a broader vision of “Humanity First.” The summit is expected to bring together leaders from BRICS member countries, partner countries and outreach invitees for discussions on both economic cooperation and major international issues.
When and where is the BRICS Summit 2026?
The 18th BRICS Summit will be held on September 12–13, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
India assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026. This is the country's fourth time leading the grouping, following its earlier chairships in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The Indian government says more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been organised across more than 25 Indian cities during the 2026 chairship before the leaders' summit.
The two-day leaders' meeting is therefore the culmination of a much larger year-long programme involving political, economic, financial, environmental, scientific and people-to-people cooperation.
What is BRICS and why is the 2026 summit important?
BRICS is a major grouping of emerging and developing economies that began with Brazil, Russia, India and China before South Africa joined, turning BRIC into BRICS.
The grouping has expanded considerably in recent years. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia have joined alongside the original members, while Saudi Arabia is also included in the expanded BRICS grouping.
The expansion has made BRICS much larger and more geographically diverse, but it has also made consensus more complicated because member countries have different economic interests and foreign-policy positions.
For India, the summit provides a platform to push issues that go beyond traditional diplomacy, including economic resilience, digital public infrastructure, sustainable development, energy cooperation and greater representation for developing countries in international institutions.
What is the theme of BRICS Summit 2026?
India's overarching BRICS 2026 theme is:
Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability
The theme reflects four broad priorities for India's chairship.
| Priority | What it means |
|---|---|
| Resilience | Strengthening cooperation against economic, health, energy, food and supply-chain shocks |
| Innovation | Promoting technology, science, startups and new digital solutions |
| Cooperation | Improving economic, political and people-to-people engagement |
| Sustainability | Addressing climate, environmental and long-term development challenges |
India has also framed its chairship around a “Humanity First” and people-centric approach.
These priorities have already been reflected in BRICS meetings held throughout 2026, including discussions on energy, environment, urbanisation, science and technology and trade.
Which countries are members of BRICS in 2026?
The expanded BRICS grouping has 11 full members in 2026.
| BRICS country | Region |
|---|---|
| Brazil | South America |
| Russia | Europe/Asia |
| India | South Asia |
| China | East Asia |
| South Africa | Africa |
| Egypt | Africa |
| Ethiopia | Africa |
| Iran | West Asia |
| United Arab Emirates | West Asia |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia |
| Saudi Arabia | West Asia |
The expansion has significantly increased BRICS' economic and demographic weight.
At the same time, the larger membership creates a more complicated diplomatic environment. The group includes countries with competing regional interests, which could make agreement on contentious geopolitical issues difficult.
Who is expected to attend the BRICS Summit in Delhi?
The summit is expected to bring together senior leaders from across the expanded BRICS grouping.
Among the most closely watched visitors are Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Xi's visit is particularly significant because it would be his first trip to India in seven years.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also expected to attend, while the UAE is expected to be represented by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Other leaders expected at the summit include South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto.
The participation of senior leaders from across the expanded bloc makes the New Delhi meeting important not just as an economic summit but also as a major diplomatic gathering.
What will BRICS leaders discuss in 2026?
The summit's agenda covers several areas that directly affect the global economy and developing countries.
1. Global governance and multilateralism
One of India's key objectives is strengthening multilateral institutions and giving developing countries a greater voice in global decision-making.
Issues such as reform of international institutions and the representation of the Global South are expected to feature prominently.
2. Trade and investment
BRICS countries are looking at ways to increase trade and investment between members.
India has also been pushing practical economic cooperation rather than limiting BRICS to political declarations.
Greater cooperation could involve easier cross-border payments, investment, supply chains, technology and support for businesses and startups.
3. Digital payments and CBDCs
One of the most closely watched economic proposals is India's push for greater interoperability between central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and payment systems.
India wants cross-border transactions between BRICS countries to become faster and potentially less dependent on traditional international payment channels.
Reuters reported that India is advocating integration of BRICS members' digital currencies, although significant political and technical obstacles remain.
Importantly, the proposal should not be confused with the creation of a single BRICS currency. India has positioned the initiative around making international transactions easier rather than replacing the US dollar as the world's reserve currency.
4. Energy security
Energy security is another major concern for the expanded bloc.
BRICS includes several major energy producers as well as large energy-consuming economies such as India and China. Cooperation on energy security, sustainable energy and reliable supply chains could therefore become an important area of discussion.
Current geopolitical tensions have made energy security even more significant ahead of the summit.
5. Food security
Food security is another area included in the summit's broader agenda.
Climate events, supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical conflicts can affect food availability and prices. BRICS cooperation could therefore focus on agricultural resilience, technology and stronger supply systems.
6. Technology and innovation
India's 2026 chairship has placed considerable emphasis on innovation.
BRICS cooperation is expected to cover emerging technologies, scientific research, digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystems.
For India, this also creates an opportunity to showcase areas such as digital public infrastructure and its broader technology ecosystem.
Why is the Modi-Xi meeting attracting so much attention?
One of the biggest diplomatic stories around the summit is the expected meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Xi's visit comes against the background of the difficult India-China relationship following the 2020 border clashes.
Relations have gradually seen signs of engagement in recent years, but important disagreements remain, particularly over the border, trade, investment and strategic trust.
A meeting on the sidelines of BRICS could therefore provide an important indication of where India-China relations are heading.
However, the BRICS summit itself is much broader than the bilateral relationship. Both countries also have an interest in keeping BRICS functional despite their differences.
What does the Russia-Ukraine and West Asia situation mean for BRICS?
The geopolitical environment surrounding the 2026 summit is unusually complicated.
The ongoing conflict involving Iran has created divisions inside the expanded BRICS group, particularly because Iran and the UAE have conflicting positions and interests.
Reuters reported that the situation could make it difficult for BRICS members to agree on language for a joint declaration.
This is an important test for the organisation. BRICS has expanded significantly, but its ability to reach consensus on major international issues will determine how influential the grouping can become.
Could BRICS push for de-dollarisation?
BRICS discussions around local-currency trade and alternative payment systems have often been described as part of a broader de-dollarisation effort.
However, there is an important distinction between reducing dependence on the dollar for some bilateral transactions and creating a common BRICS currency.
India has been more focused on practical payment interoperability and local-currency settlement than on establishing a single BRICS currency.
The 2026 summit could therefore produce more discussion around payment systems, CBDCs and local-currency transactions rather than a dramatic announcement of a new common currency.
What could India gain from hosting BRICS 2026?
Hosting the summit gives India both diplomatic visibility and an opportunity to shape the group's priorities.
India can use the platform to push several areas that align with its own economic and foreign-policy interests.
- Greater Global South representation — India can advocate reforms in international institutions.
- Trade expansion — Indian companies can potentially gain stronger access to BRICS markets.
- Digital payments — India can promote interoperability and digital public infrastructure.
- Technology cooperation — Collaboration in science, AI and emerging technologies could expand.
- Energy security — India can work with both producers and consumers within the bloc.
- Strategic autonomy — BRICS allows India to maintain relationships with different major powers without relying exclusively on one geopolitical grouping.
The summit also gives India a chance to demonstrate its ability to manage a much larger and more politically diverse BRICS.
How will the BRICS Summit affect Delhi?
The summit is also having a visible effect on New Delhi.
Security arrangements have been significantly increased around areas associated with visiting leaders, while traffic restrictions and other logistical measures are expected during the summit period.
The event is also expected to bring a large international media presence to the capital.
For residents, the most immediate effects are likely to involve traffic diversions, security restrictions and changes around government offices and major diplomatic areas during September 11–13.
These local developments could become a useful secondary search angle for Bumppy, especially as the summit approaches.
What happens on September 12 and 13?
The summit will take place across two days, with leaders' discussions, bilateral meetings and wider sessions involving BRICS partners and outreach invitees.
September 12
The first day is expected to focus heavily on leaders' discussions and core BRICS priorities, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosting participating leaders.
A leaders' dinner and other ceremonial engagements are also planned.
September 13
The second day is expected to include expanded discussions involving partner countries and broader cooperation.
The summit is expected to conclude with a declaration reflecting areas where members can reach consensus.
However, the final wording of any declaration will depend on negotiations during the summit, particularly on contentious geopolitical issues.
What could be the biggest outcome of BRICS Summit 2026?
The biggest outcome may not necessarily be a single dramatic announcement.
Instead, the summit's importance could come from whether the expanded BRICS can produce practical cooperation despite its internal differences.
India's priorities around digital payments, trade, technology, energy security and sustainable development could result in concrete initiatives if members agree on implementation.
At the same time, the summit will test whether an 11-member BRICS can maintain a common position on major geopolitical issues.
BRICS Summit 2026 FAQs
When is the BRICS Summit 2026?
The 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit will be held on September 12–13, 2026, in New Delhi.
Where will the BRICS Summit 2026 be held?
The summit will take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
How many countries are in BRICS in 2026?
BRICS has expanded to 11 full member countries in 2026.
Will BRICS create a common currency?
There is no confirmed plan to launch a single BRICS currency at the 2026 summit. India is instead pushing greater interoperability of payment systems and CBDCs and easier cross-border transactions.