New Delhi is preparing to host one of the most consequential multilateral gatherings of 2026 as the 18th edition of the BRICS Summit unfolds on September 12 and 13. India will once again don the role of chair — its fourth time steering the grouping — bringing with it the weight of experience and a clear vision for how a rapidly evolving BRICS should navigate an increasingly fragmented world.
The summit arrives at a pivotal moment for the bloc, which has transformed dramatically since its earliest incarnation as the BRIC group of four emerging economies in 2009. The inclusion of new members — Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates — from January 2024 onward has turned BRICS into a sprawling coalition representing roughly half the world's population and a significant share of global GDP when measured on a purchasing-power basis. But that growth has also brought internal diversity, differing geopolitical alignments, and questions about whether the group can speak with a coherent voice on the issues that matter most.
India's fourth chairmanship is notable not only for its recurrence but for the maturity it brings. New Delhi previously chaired BRICS in 2016, during a period when the group was still consolidating itself after the launch of the New Development Bank. More recently, India played a central role in facilitating the 2023 Johannesburg summit that approved the incoming members. This time around, Indian officials are understood to be focusing on three broad pillars: deepening intra-BRICS trade and financial cooperation, amplifying the policy concerns of developing nations within institutions like the UN, IMF, and World Bank, and keeping the agenda pragmatic rather than ideological.
Among the topics expected on the table are the ongoing push for a reformed multilateral architecture, debates over de-dollarised trade settlements, the role of local-currency transactions among member states, and coordination on climate finance and food security. There will also be keen interest in how the group manages to produce any deliverable that goes beyond joint communiqués, given the complex relationship between China and several other members, and the wide-ranging diplomatic differences that exist within the coalition.
The presence of a large contingent of heads of state and government at the September summit signals India's intent to keep the engagement high-level and results-oriented. For the host country, the summit is both a stage to project strategic autonomy and a practical opportunity to advance bilateral ties across the Global South, reinforce its leadership voice in the developing world, and ensure that BRICS continues to be relevant beyond its symbolic appeal.
