India is set to host the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, bringing together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries as well as outreach invitees for high-level discussions on global and regional issues.
The summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, and will mark the culmination of India’s year-long BRICS Chairship in 2026. The broader BRICS Business Forum and related engagements are scheduled during September 11–13.
India’s BRICS Chairship is centred on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting a focus on people-centric development and the principle of “Humanity First”. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India’s year-long chairship has already seen more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements across over 25 cities, covering the political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people pillars of BRICS cooperation.
Focus on Global South and Practical Cooperation
The New Delhi summit is expected to provide an opportunity for BRICS leaders to discuss common priorities and exchange views on major global and regional developments. India’s chairship has placed particular emphasis on strengthening cooperation among emerging economies and advancing practical, development-oriented outcomes.
Issues likely to remain prominent include economic cooperation, sustainable development, innovation, technology, climate resilience, energy and strengthening the voice of the Global South. Recent analyses of India’s BRICS agenda have also highlighted areas such as digital cooperation, green finance, energy transition and innovation.
The summit also comes at a significant moment for the grouping, with 2026 marking two decades since the establishment of BRICS. India is chairing the grouping for the fourth time, having previously held the chairship in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
India’s Chairship Draws Positive Assessment
Ahead of the summit, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov has described India’s handling of the BRICS chairship as a major success. He pointed to the extensive programme of meetings and initiatives developed during the year, including proposals involving smart grids, energy storage, startup innovation and logistics and supply-chain cooperation.
The assessment comes as India seeks to translate the year-long diplomatic and sectoral engagements into concrete outcomes at the leaders’ summit.
Delhi Steps Up Security and Civic Preparations
With senior leaders and international delegations expected to arrive in the capital, preparations have intensified across New Delhi.
Delhi Police has been conducting security and traffic rehearsals, with authorities preparing routes connecting the summit venue, hotels and other key locations. Reports indicate that traffic regulation will involve more than 35 roads and 22 diversion points, while drones are also being deployed to monitor traffic movement and identify congestion in real time.
Security arrangements have also been strengthened around hotels designated for visiting dignitaries. At the same time, the New Delhi Municipal Council has stepped up sanitation, beautification, road maintenance and civic preparedness along important routes to be used by foreign delegations.
The scale of the arrangements has also prompted the Centre to keep central government offices in Delhi and New Delhi closed on September 11, with the government citing the extensive logistical and security requirements associated with the summit. September 12 and 13 are already Saturday and Sunday.
A High-Stakes Diplomatic Gathering
The summit comes against a backdrop of geopolitical and economic uncertainty, making the BRICS platform particularly significant for discussions on multilateral cooperation, development and the evolving global order.
For India, the New Delhi summit represents an opportunity to showcase its leadership of the expanded BRICS grouping and advance a development-oriented agenda centred on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
As leaders gather in the national capital, attention will now turn to the outcomes and commitments emerging from the 18th BRICS Summit, and whether the expanded grouping can translate its growing economic and political weight into tangible cooperation for the Global South.