18th BRICS summit

18th BRICS summit

The 18th BRICS Summit was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India from 12–13 September 2026 under India's 2026 BRICS chairship. It brought together delegations from the BRICS members, partner countries, invitees and several international organisations. The summit was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was organised under the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.

The leaders' summit was preceded on 11 September by the BRICS Business Forum, also held at Bharat Mandapam, while the two-day leaders' programme comprises a closed meeting of BRICS members, an expanded open session with partner countries and outreach participants, a visit to the Bharat Innovates exposition, bilateral meetings and ceremonial events. On 12 September, the BRICS members unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration, a 140-paragraph consensus document covering global-governance reform, international conflicts, trade and finance, energy and climate policy, technology, health, agriculture and people-to-people cooperation. However, the wording lacked any mention of the United States despite the BRICS members having been significantly affected by the 2026 Iran war and Trump-led tariffs.

Background

18th BRICS summit

BRICS was formalised through meetings of Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006 and held its first leaders' summit in 2009. South Africa joined in 2010 and first participated in a summit in 2011. The grouping expanded substantially in 2024 and 2025. By 2026, official BRICS and Indian government sources listed eleven members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, as well as ten partner countries: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Indian presidency

India assumed the BRICS presidency on 1 January 2026, succeeding Brazil. India framed its presidency around four priorities represented by the acronym of its summit theme: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. According to the Indian government, the presidency sought to strengthen institutional effectiveness, advance the interests of the Global South, and promote practical cooperation in development, technology, trade and sustainability.

Logo and official website

The Government of India launched the official logo and website for the BRICS 2026 presidency, on 13 January 2026, marking the formal commencement of preparations for the summit.

Venue

18th BRICS summit

Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan, venue of the summit

The summit was held at Bharat Mandapam, the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The complex was inaugurated in July 2023 and was subsequently the venue of the 2023 G20 New Delhi summit.

The convention centre can accommodate up to 7,000 delegates in a single configuration and contains plenary, multipurpose and meeting halls as well as dedicated VIP facilities.

Programme

BRICS Business Forum

The BRICS Business Forum was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 11 September, on the eve of the leaders' summit. It brought together representatives of governments, businesses, financial institutions, startups, the BRICS Business Council and the BRICS Women's Business Alliance from member and partner countries.

The forum's programme consisted of five sectoral panels followed by a leaders' session.

At the leaders' session, Indian PM Modi called for the BRICS business community to identify major barriers to intra-BRICS trade, support the international expansion of startups and create additional cross-border business partnerships. He also highlighted initiatives developed under India's chairship, including a BRICS Incubator Network, a BRICS MSME Portal and a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund, and stressed the importance of secure sea lanes and supply routes for global trade.

Bharat Innovates exposition

The BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition is being held on 11–12 September alongside the Business Forum and the leaders' summit. Organised by India's Ministry of Education in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, it showcases 37 Indian deep-technology startups and ventures and is intended to connect startups, research institutions and laboratories with investors, corporations and other international partners.

The exposition forms part of India's education-track priority on research, innovation and startup ecosystems. BRICS leaders visited the exhibition during the first day of the summit.

Leaders' programme

The formal leaders' programme takes place over 12 and 13 September. The first day is centred on a closed plenary restricted to BRICS members, while the second-day open plenary expands participation to partner countries, invitees and representatives of international organisations.

Date	Event	Participants
12 September	Arrival and official welcome of BRICS leaders	BRICS members
	Closed plenary: Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism	BRICS members
	Visit to the Bharat Innovates exposition	Leaders of BRICS member countries
	Family photograph and joint tree-planting ceremony	Leaders of BRICS member countries
	Gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi	Summit participants
13 September	Arrival and official welcome of partner countries and outreach delegations	BRICS partner countries and invitees
	Family photograph and Open plenary: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth	BRICS members, partner countries, invitees and representatives of international organisations

During the closed plenary on 12 September, the leaders discussed reform of global governance and multilateral institutions, economic cooperation and major international and regional developments. The session culminated in the adoption by consensus of the New Delhi Declaration.

Following the plenary, the leaders visited the Bharat Innovates exposition and participated in the official family photograph and joint tree-planting ceremony before attending a gala dinner hosted by Modi.

The open plenary on 13 September brings together BRICS members with partner countries, invitees and international organisations. Its theme, Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth, reflects the four priorities of India's 2026 BRICS presidency.

Agenda

18th BRICS summit

The summit agenda includes reform of global governance and multilateral institutions, trade and investment, food and energy security, public health, disaster resilience and the resilience of critical supply chains. Leaders also discussed geopolitical conflicts, disruptions to maritime commerce and energy routes, and measures to expand economic cooperation among BRICS states.

Economic discussions included improving interoperability between payment systems, expanding the use of national and central-bank digital currencies in cross-border payments, and developing new cooperation frameworks for startups and logistics. Initiatives considered by leaders included a BRICS Incubator Network, a Startup Innovation Fund and a Logistics Supply-Chain Cooperation Framework. The summit takes place amid the continuing war involving Iran, Israel and the United States, the war in Ukraine, high energy prices and trade tensions. Differences among some BRICS members, particularly Iran and the United Arab Emirates, had been identified before the summit as a challenge to achieving consensus on geopolitical language; the members nevertheless unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration on 12 September.

New Delhi Declaration

18th BRICS summit

On 12 September, the BRICS members unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. The declaration contains 140 numbered paragraphs and reaffirms the grouping's three broad pillars of political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. It also records more than 400 meetings and engagements held in 30 Indian cities during India's 2026 chairship.

Global governance and international conflicts

The declaration called for a more representative multilateral system and greater participation by emerging and developing countries in international institutions. It reiterated support for reform of the United Nations and other global bodies and argued that the international system should better reflect contemporary economic and political realities.

On the conflict in the Middle East, the members expressed "deep concern" over the escalation of tensions and called for "maximum restraint", protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a long-term settlement through dialogue and diplomacy. The document reiterated support for humanitarian access in Gaza and for UNRWA. On the war in and around Ukraine, the declaration recalled the members' differing national positions and welcomed mediation and good-offices proposals aimed at a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.

The declaration specifically condemned the 2025 Pahalgam attack and reiterated "zero tolerance" for terrorism, including terrorist financing, safe havens and cross-border movement of terrorists.

Trade, finance and development

The members criticised the increasing use of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures and reaffirmed support for a rules-based multilateral trading system centred on the World Trade Organization, while calling for reforms that give developing economies greater influence. The declaration also opposed unilateral coercive measures not authorised by the United Nations Security Council.

On financial cooperation, the declaration backed continued work by the BRICS Payment Task Force on interoperability between national payment and financial-messaging systems and on settlement and investment in local currencies. It did not establish a common BRICS currency. The members encouraged the New Development Bank to expand local-currency financing and continued discussion of a proposed New Investment Platform and other mechanisms for development finance.

Energy, climate, technology and social cooperation

The declaration described energy security as a foundation of development, called for stable energy markets and resilient infrastructure, and stated that fossil fuels would continue to play an important role in the energy mix of emerging and developing economies. At the same time, it reaffirmed support for a "just, orderly, equitable and inclusive" energy transition and for implementation of the Paris Agreement.

In technology policy, the members endorsed continued cooperation on artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, quantum technologies, research networks and start-up ecosystems. The declaration welcomed a BRICS Incubator Network and further consideration of a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund, as well as a proposed repository for digital public-infrastructure solutions. In health, it endorsed a BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and a 2026–2029 roadmap on healthy-lifestyle promotion, and supported a network of centres of excellence on mental health coordinated by India's National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences.

In agriculture, the declaration supported further work on the proposed BRICS Grain Exchange and cooperation on food security, agricultural inputs and climate-resilient farming.

The declaration expressed support for China's BRICS chairship in 2027 and the holding of the 19th BRICS summit in China.

Bilateral diplomacy

18th BRICS summit

A number of bilateral meetings took place before and during the summit. Indian PM Narendra Modi met Russian president Vladimir Putin on 11 September, with discussions covering trade, energy, defence and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East; the two sides reiterated a goal of increasing bilateral trade to US$100 billion by 2030.

On 12 September, Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met on the summit sidelines during Xi's first visit to India in seven years. The two leaders discussed border stability, trade imbalances, market access, transport links and broader economic ties, in what was widely interpreted as a cautious attempt to stabilise China–India relations.

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and UAE representative Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan also held talks on 12 September, described by Reuters as the highest-level Iran–UAE meeting since the outbreak of the 2026 war. The meeting focused on regional stability and peace efforts and took place as negotiators sought consensus on the declaration's Middle East language.

Participating delegations

BRICS members

• Brazil Mauro Vieira, Foreign Minister • China Xi Jinping, CCP General Secretary and President • Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President • Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister • India Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (Host) • Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, President • Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, President • Russia Vladimir Putin, President • South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President • United Arab Emirates Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, President

Saudi Arabia is listed as a BRICS member by official BRICS and Indian government sources, although Riyadh has not publicly confirmed formal accession and its status has continued to be described as ambiguous in independent reporting. In the New Delhi Summit, while the Saudi delegation was represented, Saudi Arabia didn't participate as a full member.

BRICS partner countries

• Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov, Foreign Minister • Bolivia Arlette Gabriela Bustamante García, chargé d'affaires of the Bolivian embassy in India • Cuba Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Foreign Minister • Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President also representing the Eurasian Economic Union • Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister • Nigeria Kashim Shettima, Vice President • Thailand Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister • Uganda Jessica Alupo, Vice President • Uzbekistan Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance • Vietnam Lê Minh Hưng, Prime Minister

Invitees

• Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Foreign Minister representing the Gulf Cooperation Council • Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye, President representing the African Union • Philippines Bongbong Marcos, President representing ASEAN • Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Foreign Minister • Uruguay Mario Lubetkin, Foreign Minister representing the CELAC

India invited the chairs of several regional organisations to the summit's outreach session. Kazakhstan's President Tokayev participates both as the leader of a BRICS partner country and as a representative of the Eurasian Economic Union. Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had been invited in his capacity as chair of BIMSTEC, but Bangladesh announced on 10 September that it would not send a government representative to the summit.

International organisations

Several international organisations are represented at the summit.

• United Nations António Guterres, Secretary-General • World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General • World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General • New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff, President • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Zou Jiayi, President and Chair of the Board of Directors

The International Solar Alliance is represented by its Director-General, Ashish Khanna, while the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure is represented by its Director-General, Amit Prothi.

Reception and analysis

18th BRICS summit

International coverage focused on the significance of reaching a consensus declaration despite divisions within the expanded grouping. Reuters noted that agreement had been expected to be a "particularly challenging task for host New Delhi", because BRICS includes both Iran and the United Arab Emirates, whose positions had sharply diverged during the 2026 Middle East conflict. The agreement contrasted with the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi in May, which ended without a joint communiqué because of differences over the war, leaving India to issue a chair's statement instead.

Associated Press interpreted the summit as demonstrating both BRICS' continuing opposition to what many members regard as Western dominance of international institutions and India's effort to balance that agenda with its relations with Western countries, Russia, Iran and the Gulf states. The Financial Times highlighted a "push for Gulf peace" but noted that India–China strategic competition continued to limit cohesion and that proposals for a sharper move away from the US dollar were avoided.

BBC noted that while China, Russia and Iran aim to use BRICS as a vehicle to counter the influence of the US and western Europe, India does not seek to cast the group as an anti-Western bloc, with Modi himself saying that the group is "not against anyone". In an analysis for The Indian Express, C. Raja Mohan characterised India's approach under the headline "No fire & brimstone", arguing that New Delhi had resisted attempts to turn BRICS into a confrontational geopolitical bloc and instead emphasised practical cooperation on supply chains, health, digital infrastructure, development finance and other areas. The Guardian similarly contrasted Beijing's view of BRICS as a counterweight to the United States with India's preference for a bridging role between the West and developing countries, while highlighting Xi's visit as part of a tentative thaw in India–China relations.

Bloomberg News noted that deep divide between China and India still remains, with New Delhi highlighting economic imbalances that have made the country more dependent on China in recent years, as the trade deficit has doubled in the last decade.

Bloomberg News described the summit as one in which several governments at odds with the United States "found common ground", noting that the declaration criticised unilateral war, tariffs and sanctions without naming the United States directly. BBC also noted that the New Delhi declaration "assigns no blame" on anyone for ongoing 2026 Iran war. An opinion piece of Al-Jazeera also noted the summit lacked mention of the United States despite BRICS members having been significantly affected by the Iran war, and added the wording "revealed just how difficult it is for BRICS to turn shared dissatisfaction with the Western-led order into coordinated geopolitical action".

Security and logistics

18th BRICS summit

Indian authorities mounted a large security operation across New Delhi for the summit, with approximately 30,000 personnel from the Delhi Police and other agencies deployed around the venue, airports, delegation hotels and major routes. Security arrangements included layered cordons, anti-drone systems, surveillance cameras and traffic restrictions around central Delhi.

Delegations were accommodated across multiple hotels in New Delhi. Road diversions and temporary restrictions were introduced around Bharat Mandapam, diplomatic areas, airports and hotels during high-level movements, while authorities encouraged residents to use the Delhi Metro where possible.

Controversies

18th BRICS summit

Schools across Delhi were closed on 11 September 2026 to pave the way for the foreign officials. Offices and the Supreme Court were also ordered to remain closed for the day. A former Indian intelligence official noted that the shut down was, "causing great discomfort to the common people".

Ahead of the summit, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party criticised the central government after curtains and screens were placed along routes near some slums and low-income settlements in Delhi, accusing authorities of attempting to conceal poverty rather than address it. Residents of the Coolie Camp settlement in Vasant Vihar, where screening had also been used during the 2023 G20 summit, told Brut that they felt they were being hidden from visiting delegations.

India's leading opposition Indian National Congress criticised the dinner menu of the summit for being entirely vegetarian. This controversy arose after Xi Jinping and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khaled bin Mohamed had skipped the dinner.