The BRICS Summit is coming to India this weekend, with New Delhi preparing to host the grouping’s 18th leaders’ meeting on September 12 and 13. The summit will take place at Bharat Mandapam while senior delegations and heads of state are arriving in the capital ahead of the formal programme.
So, has the BRICS Summit already happened? Not yet. As of September 11, the summit itself is scheduled to begin on September 12. The current news is about the arrival of leaders, final diplomatic preparations and the agenda India wants to put at the centre of the meeting.
BRICS Summit 2026 date, venue and theme
The 18th BRICS Summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026. India assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1 and is hosting the summit for the fourth time, after its chairships in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
India’s theme for the 2026 chairship is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The official BRICS India 2026 programme describes the approach as people-centric and focused on practical cooperation, rather than only issuing broad political statements.
The first day is expected to focus on BRICS member-country leaders and core discussions. Partner countries, outreach invitees and heads of international organisations are expected to join the expanded programme on September 13. The exact attendance and programme can change as delegations complete their travel and diplomatic schedules.
Which BRICS countries are members in 2026?
BRICS now has 11 full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined in 2024, while Indonesia joined in 2025.
India is hosting the summit as chair. The expanded membership makes this meeting different from the older five-country BRICS format, with the group now representing a wider range of economies, energy producers and countries from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America.
Full list: who is coming to India for the BRICS Summit?
The current participant list includes presidents, prime ministers, ministers and senior representatives. Not every country is sending its head of state, so it is important to distinguish between a president or prime minister and a minister-level representative.
BRICS member-country leaders and representatives
- India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the summit.
- China: President Xi Jinping is scheduled to attend.
- Russia: President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to attend.
- Iran: President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to attend.
- Egypt: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is expected to participate.
- Ethiopia: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali is expected to participate.
- Indonesia: President Prabowo Subianto is expected to participate.
- South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to participate.
- Brazil: Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira is representing Brazil, rather than the Brazilian president.
- Saudi Arabia: Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud is listed as the representative.
- United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is expected to represent the UAE.
Partner countries and outreach participants
The New Delhi meeting will also include partner-country and outreach participation. The reported list includes Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Other senior representatives include officials from Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Nigeria, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Bahrain.
Several of these countries are partners or invitees, not full BRICS members. That distinction matters when reading headlines about the “BRICS countries list”: attendance at the summit does not automatically mean a country has joined the group.
Which global organisations will attend?
The summit is also expected to bring international institutions into the conversation. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus are among the international figures listed for participation. New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff is also expected to attend.
The presence of these organisations gives India an opportunity to connect BRICS discussions with larger debates on global finance, development, health, trade rules and reform of international institutions.
What will be discussed at the BRICS Summit?
India’s priorities point to a broad economic and diplomatic agenda. The major issues expected to come up include:
- Trade and cross-border payments: Members are expected to discuss making trade settlements easier and expanding the practical use of national currencies.
- Technology and artificial intelligence: Digital public infrastructure, AI cooperation, innovation and responsible technology are part of India’s chairship priorities.
- Supply-chain resilience: The group is expected to examine how members can reduce disruption in food, energy, medicines and critical goods.
- Energy and climate: Energy security, clean energy investment and sustainable development remain central to the expanded group.
- Development finance: The New Development Bank and wider access to development funding are likely to receive attention.
- Global governance: Reform of international institutions, including the demand for a stronger voice for developing countries, is expected to be part of the discussion.
Why the 2026 BRICS Summit matters for India
India is hosting the summit at a complicated moment for global politics. Conflicts affecting Europe and West Asia, trade and tariff tensions, energy risks and uncertainty around supply chains are all putting pressure on emerging economies.
For New Delhi, the summit is a chance to present itself as a bridge between different groups of countries. India has to work with Russia, China and Iran inside BRICS while also maintaining relationships through forums such as the G20 and the Quad. That makes the wording of any joint statement and the outcome of bilateral meetings especially important.
The expected meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping will receive close attention because it comes after efforts to stabilise India-China relations. Modi’s talks with Putin and other leaders may also cover energy, trade, technology and regional security.
BRICS Summit 2026 latest update
As of September 11, leaders and delegations are arriving in New Delhi, but the 18th BRICS Summit has not yet concluded. The formal meeting begins on September 12 at Bharat Mandapam and continues on September 13 with partner-country and outreach sessions.
The most important result will not be the group photograph alone. The focus will be on whether India can turn the chairship theme into practical agreements on payments, technology, energy, development and supply-chain cooperation. Any final declaration or new announcement should be checked against the official BRICS India 2026 website after the summit sessions end.
Sources: official BRICS India 2026 website, The Hindu’s participant and agenda report and Business Today’s current participant list.