The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from September 12-13, 2026 will feature at least 28 participants from various emerging countries, marking the grouping's evolution from a four-country grouping into an 11-member forum that represents 49.5% of the world's population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade. According to the latest reports, the summit is scheduled at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and comes as India hosts the grouping as its chair for the fourth time. The summit is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of "Humanity First." Bharat Mandapam has been decked up with BRICS banners and enhanced lighting, with the sprawling complex in central Delhi prepared to welcome world leaders. The summit is expected to attract around 1,200-1,300 journalists from Indian and foreign media, with an International Media Centre being set up at the venue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India ahead of the summit, with his expected time of arrival at 1.15 am on September 11. Putin is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with PM Modi at 3.30 pm on Friday, followed by meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at 6.15 pm on Friday. Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive at 12.25 pm on Saturday, September 12, with his meeting with PM Modi planned for 6 pm on Saturday. During the Modi-Xi talks, the two leaders are expected to review the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and discuss further steps to normalise bilateral ties, including expanding trade and investment. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also attend the summit, while foreign ministers of Ethiopia and Burundi have already arrived in New Delhi on Thursday. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will not be coming due to upcoming Brazil elections. The summit will also feature Uruguay's Foreign Affairs Minister Mario Lubetkin, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Foreign Affairs Minister of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov, Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
The main leaders' programme begins on Saturday, September 12, with key sessions scheduled throughout the two-day summit. At 2.35 pm, BRICS member-country leaders will hold a closed-door session on "Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism." Leaders are expected to discuss food and energy security, healthcare, disaster resilience and critical supply chains. Additional areas of focus include trade, investment, connectivity, cross-border payments, greater use of national currencies, MSME development, digital trade and artificial intelligence. Development finance, climate resilience, expansion of the New Development Bank and reforms of multilateral financial and political institutions are also on the agenda. The summit is expected to conclude with the New Delhi Declaration, with leaders also discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, Middle East war and concerns over the Strait of Hormuz as part of global and regional developments. Collaborations in agriculture, innovation, and health are expected to be highlighted, as indicated by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar when he presented India's priority areas at the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting. Discussions on clean energy and sustainable growth are also expected to be on the agenda, with cross-border payments expected to gain significant focus as India advocates for increased utilisation of national currencies in trade.
Saturday, September 12 Schedule: The day begins with 2.00 PM arrival of BRICS leaders at Level 2, Bharat Mandapam, followed by the 2.35 PM closed session in Summit Hall. At 4.25 PM, leaders will witness the "Bharat Innovates Exhibition" in Hall 14, followed by a 5.05 PM family photo and 5.10 PM joint tree plantation outside the lawns. PM Modi will host a gala dinner at 7.30 PM featuring the "Brics Symphony" performed by around 160 artistes from India and other BRICS countries. The programme will showcase traditional music and dance including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi and Kathak, along with traditional instruments and vocal performances. A special Brics Friendship Mural is being created at Bharat Mandapam by artists from member countries, inspired by "Sangam," or confluence. Delhi Police has deployed around 500 CCTV cameras across the summit area, including some equipped with number plate recognition technology. Manish Kumar Agrawal, Special Commissioner of Police, stated that "We have made elaborate bandobast by ensuring minimum inconvenience to the public." Traffic restrictions are expected in parts of the city during foreign dignitary movements, with Connaught Place remaining open from September 11-13 despite some movement restrictions.
India is a founding member of BRICS and has previously held its Chairship three times in 2012, 2016 and 2021. India assumed its fourth BRICS Chairship on January 1, 2026, making 2026 a significant milestone as BRICS completes twenty years since its establishment. Under India's Chairship this year, over 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been held in over 25 cities across India to further strengthen the BRICS strategic partnership across three fundamental pillars: political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Through these engagements, and business-to-business and people-to-people initiatives, India's BRICS Chairship has contributed to advancing BRICS cooperation through practical and development-oriented outcomes, as per MEA statement. The leaders will exchange views on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance, with discussions expected to focus on bilateral trade deals for economic strength and practical cooperation initiatives.
