BRICS 2026 Summit

 

Introduction

The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi, India, from 12–13 September 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship. The theme of the 2026 Chairship and Summit was “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The summit marked an important milestone as BRICS entered its 20th year of cooperation.

India's 2026 BRICS Chairship focused on a people-centric and humanity-first approach, with emphasis on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. More than 350 meetings were organised during India's Chairship across nearly 30 Indian cities.

What is BRICS?

BRICS is a grouping of major emerging-market and developing countries that promotes cooperation in political, economic, financial, social, cultural, scientific and other areas.

The term BRIC was originally coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001 to describe Brazil, Russia, India and China. The grouping subsequently developed into an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism.

The first BRIC Summit was held at Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa joined the grouping in 2011, transforming BRIC into BRICS.

BRICS Members in 2026

Following its expansion, BRICS had 11 full members in 2026:

1. Brazil

2. Russia

3. India

4. China

5. South Africa

6. Egypt

7. Ethiopia

8. Iran

9. United Arab Emirates

10. Indonesia

11. Saudi Arabia

The expansion significantly increased the geographical representation of BRICS across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

BRICS Partner Countries

BRICS also developed a Partner Country category to broaden cooperation with emerging markets and developing countries.

The partner-country framework provides an additional mechanism for countries to participate in BRICS activities without becoming full members.

The 2026 New Delhi Declaration specifically recognised the contribution of partner countries and encouraged greater participation in BRICS engagements and practical cooperation.

India's BRICS Chairship 2026

India assumed the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026.

India's priorities were organised around four central ideas:

- Resilience

- Innovation

- Cooperation

- Sustainability

India emphasised making BRICS cooperation more closely connected with the lives of ordinary people and strengthening practical, inclusive and development-oriented cooperation.

Three Pillars of BRICS Cooperation

The New Delhi Declaration reaffirmed the three major pillars of BRICS cooperation:

1. Political and Security Cooperation

This pillar deals with international peace and security, counter-terrorism, global governance, multilateralism and coordination on international issues.

2. Economic and Financial Cooperation

This includes trade, investment, finance, sustainable development, infrastructure, technology, supply chains and cooperation among financial institutions.

3. Cultural and People-to-People Cooperation

This pillar promotes cooperation in education, culture, youth affairs, sports, academic exchanges and people-to-people contacts.

The 2026 Declaration reaffirmed these three pillars as the foundation of expanded BRICS cooperation.

Major Outcomes of BRICS Summit 2026

1. New Delhi BRICS Leaders' Declaration

The most important outcome was the adoption of the BRICS New Delhi Declaration at the 18th Summit.

The Declaration reaffirmed BRICS principles including:

- Mutual respect and understanding

- Sovereign equality

- Solidarity

- Democracy

- Openness

- Inclusiveness

- Collaboration

- Consensus

The Declaration also emphasised sustainable development, inclusive growth and a more representative international order.

2. Global Governance and UN Reform

BRICS leaders emphasised the need to make global governance institutions more representative and responsive to contemporary international realities.

The issue of greater representation for developing countries, particularly in major multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, remained an important part of the BRICS agenda.

During the Summit, India also emphasised strengthening the voice and participation of the Global South in international decision-making.

3. Global South Cooperation

India hosted the BRICS Plus/Outreach component of the Summit.

The objective was to strengthen engagement between BRICS and Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs).

The New Delhi Declaration recognised the importance of partnership with developing countries and encouraged their increasing participation in BRICS activities.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence was an important area of cooperation.

BRICS discussions recognised the opportunities created by AI for:

- Economic growth

- Innovation

- Sustainable development

- Public services

- Scientific research

- Digital transformation

At the same time, cooperation was emphasised on issues such as AI safety, security, accessibility, inclusiveness, reliability, energy efficiency and trustworthy AI.

5. Climate Change and Sustainable Development

The Summit reaffirmed the importance of international cooperation on climate change and sustainable development.

Major areas included:

- Climate-change mitigation

- Climate adaptation

- Climate finance

- Loss and damage

- Biodiversity conservation

- Sustainable development

- Carbon-market cooperation

- Local and traditional knowledge

The approach placed particular emphasis on development needs of developing countries.

6. Counter-Terrorism

BRICS leaders reaffirmed their opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

The Declaration addressed issues including:

- Terrorist financing

- Safe havens

- Cross-border terrorism

- International terrorist networks

- International cooperation against terrorism

BRICS also supported continued work through the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group and called for progress towards the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

The Declaration also condemned the terrorist attack of 22 April 2025 in Jammu and Kashmir.

7. New Development Bank

The New Development Bank (NDB) remained an important institution associated with BRICS economic cooperation.

The NDB focuses on financing infrastructure and sustainable-development projects in member countries.

The 2026 BRICS agenda continued to emphasise:

- Infrastructure financing

- Sustainable development

- Resource mobilisation

- Local-currency financing

- Greater financial cooperation

Therefore, for examinations, it is important to remember that NDB is an existing BRICS institution established in 2015, rather than a new institution created by the 2026 Summit.

8. Economic and Trade Cooperation

Economic cooperation remained one of the principal areas of BRICS activity.

The 2026 agenda included:

- Expansion of intra-BRICS trade

- Investment cooperation

- Resilient supply chains

- Digital economy

- Trade in services

- MSME cooperation

- Financial cooperation

- Sustainable economic growth

The Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2030 was also advanced through the economic and trade-related discussions during India's Chairship.

9. Health Cooperation

BRICS countries continued cooperation in the field of global health.

Important areas included:

- Health infrastructure

- Medical products

- Vaccines

- Therapeutics

- Diagnostics

- Disease surveillance

- Laboratory networks

- Digital health

- Health emergency preparedness

- Application of AI in healthcare

10. Energy Cooperation

Energy security and sustainable energy were significant components of India's BRICS agenda.

The cooperation covered:

- Energy security

- Affordable energy

- Sustainable energy

- Energy efficiency

- Digital technologies

- Smart electricity grids

- Application of AI and data analytics in energy systems

India's Energy Track also focused on the theme “Energy for All.”

11. Youth Cooperation

Youth engagement was another important area of India's BRICS Chairship.

The BRICS Youth Council and BRICS Youth Summit provided platforms for young people from member countries to discuss cooperation, innovation, entrepreneurship and development.

The 2026 BRICS Youth Summit was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, while the BRICS Youth Ministers' Meeting was held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

12. Women and Entrepreneurship

The 2026 Declaration recognised the contribution of women to economic development and entrepreneurship.

The BRICS Women's Business Alliance continued to promote:

- Women's entrepreneurship

- Leadership

- Access to finance

- Access to markets

- Technology

- Skills

- Digital opportunities

The Summit also welcomed initiatives supporting women-led enterprises and innovation.

13. BRICS Business Cooperation

The BRICS Business Forum 2026 provided a platform for business-to-business interaction.

The BRICS Business Council continued work on:

- Trade

- Investment

- Supply chains

- Business cooperation

- Sustainable development

The New Delhi Declaration also welcomed initiatives such as the BRICS Solutions Awards 2026 and BRICS Women's Start-up Awards 2026.

Important BRICS Summit Chronology

Year| Host City| Country

2009| Yekaterinburg| Russia

2010| Brasília| Brazil

2011| Sanya| China

2012| New Delhi| India

2013| Durban| South Africa

2014| Fortaleza| Brazil

2015| Ufa| Russia

2016| Goa| India

2017| Xiamen| China

2018| Johannesburg| South Africa

2019| Brasília| Brazil

2020| Moscow| Russia

2021| New Delhi| India

2022| Beijing| China

2023| Johannesburg| South Africa

2024| Kazan| Russia

2025| Rio de Janeiro| Brazil

2026| New Delhi| India

The 2026 Summit was therefore India's fourth BRICS Summit as host, following the 2012, 2016 and 2021 Summits.

Important Facts for Competitive Examinations

18th BRICS Summit: New Delhi, India

Dates: 12–13 September 2026

Chair: India

2026 Theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”

Number of full members in 2026: 11

Three pillars: Political and Security; Economic and Financial; Cultural and People-to-People

Major document: New Delhi BRICS Leaders' Declaration

Next BRICS Chair: China

19th BRICS Summit: China, 2027

Conclusion

The BRICS 2026 Summit in New Delhi focused on strengthening cooperation among an expanded group of emerging economies and developing countries. Its agenda covered global governance, economic cooperation, sustainable development, artificial intelligence, climate change, health, energy, youth, women-led entrepreneurship and counter-terrorism.

For competitive examinations, the most important facts are the 18th Summit, New Delhi, 12–13 September 2026, India's Chairship, the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the 11-member structure, the three pillars of cooperation, the New Delhi Declaration and China's upcoming 2027 Chairship.

Standard and Official Sources

1. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India – Brief on BRICS

2. Press Information Bureau, Government of India – BRICS 2026 Backgrounder

3. BRICS New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, 2026

4. Prime Minister's Office, Government of India – BRICS Summit statements and releases

5. Ministry-wise Government of India releases related to India's BRICS Chairship 2026