India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. The Ministry of External Affairs announced that India’s BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
BRICS and its membership
BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies. The acronym originally referred to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and the grouping has expanded in recent years to include new members such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
India’s chairship and summit cycle
India assumed the BRICS chairship on 1 January 2026. India had earlier held the BRICS chairship in 2012, 2016 and 2021, and the 2026 summit marks the 20th anniversary of BRICS, which was formed in 2006 as BRIC and later renamed BRICS after South Africa joined in 2010.
Preparatory meetings and venue facts
More than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been held across 25 Indian cities under India’s chairship. Bharat Mandapam is a convention centre in New Delhi and was also used for major multilateral meetings during India’s G20 Presidency in 2023.
Important Facts for Exams
- BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in its original form.
- The first BRICS Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.
- New Development Bank is a BRICS-linked multilateral development bank established in 2014.
- BRICS summits are held annually under the chairship of the member country that leads the grouping for that year.
Security and diplomatic context
New Delhi security agencies have prepared a multi-layered security and surveillance network for transit routes, the summit venue and designated hotels. BRICS discussions often cover trade, finance, energy, digital cooperation and global governance, which are standard agenda areas in multilateral summits.
