18th BRICS Summit Begins in New Delhi: PM Modi to Host Global Leaders at Bharat Mandapam
The 18th BRICS Summit is going to commence in New Delhi today, September 12, with PM Narendra Modi hosting the BRICS group leaders at Bharat Mandapam. The 18th BRICS summit is to be held on September 12 and 13, as India assumes its fourth BRICS chairship.
In such a way, the summit will happen during a rather significant period of time in terms of world politics. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, disruption of global energy and trade supplies, change in alliances and discussions regarding the existing global financial system have placed pressure on emerging economies to synchronize their policies.
For India, the summit will also give the chance to prove its diplomatic power and advocate a more representative world order.
When and Where Is the BRICS Summit 2026 Being Held?
The 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit will take place at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026. As India took up the BRICS chairmanship starting January 1st, it has organized over 350 events and high-level interactions in more than 25 cities of India through its year-long presidency.
The summit will be the outcome of those interactions and will gather the heads of state of the new BRICS grouping to discuss cooperation on economy, global governance, security, trade, technology, and sustainable development.
What Are the Members of BRICS in 2026?
The BRICS grouping has grown significantly beyond its founding members. At present, the grouping comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and UAE. Together, these countries represent roughly 49.5 percent of the world’s population, 40 percent of the world’s GDP, and 26 percent of global trade, according to the Indian government.
PM Modi’s “Humanity First” Vision
India’s upcoming BRICS presidency is defined through the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The theme captures India’s effort to bring into focus the themes of development, sustainability, innovation and the concerns of the Global South within BRICS cooperation.
The Indian approach to the summit is centered around building BRICS as a forum for cooperation over shared issues rather than as a battleground for geopolitical rivalries.
Presence of Xi in Delhi Summit Carries a Great Deal of Significance
One of the key points to consider about the summit is the visit of President of China, Xi Jinping. The leader arrived in Delhi in preparation for the BRICS summit on September 12. The arrival is very important since this marks Xi’s first visit to India in seven years.
The Modi-Xi meeting is of great importance especially considering the tensions that developed after the 2020 India-China border clash. Even though this is a bilateral problem between the two states, the meeting is taking place amid the wider framework of BRICS.
China is ready to accommodate its differences with India and build its overall relations with India.
Putin, Pezeshkian, and Other Leaders in Delhi
Apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin who will be attending the summit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also part of the other leading figures who will be in New Delhi at the time. Apart from the above leaders, other prominent participants of the summit include South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto, and other BRICS leaders.
It will be quite interesting for India to manage relations with leaders of countries which have different approaches to their foreign policy.
What Will Leaders Discuss?
The summit’s agenda covers global governance, trade and investment, technology, energy, sustainability, and cooperation between developing nations.
Among the other closed meetings that will take place at the summit is the discussion of “inclusive global governance and strengthening multilateralism.” It is a way India attempts to achieve greater representation of developing nations within international bodies and decision-making processes.
Discussions are also expected to revolve around resilient supply chains, green energy, start-ups, innovations, and economic cooperation. All these topics are relevant since the countries try to handle the disruptions to trade routes, energy security, and global supply chains.
Why Trade and Global Economy Matter?
BRICS has increasingly become a key platform for discussions related to international economic relations. Due to its expanded membership, the bloc has acquired greater economic power as a whole and now has the possibility to discuss various ways of enhancing trade and financial cooperation between member nations.
Topics related to national currencies, cross-border payments, and reduction of dependence on current financial systems can be discussed. However, it is difficult to achieve agreement since there are diverging interests and goals of the countries in terms of their economies and geopolitics.
India-China Relations Add Another Layer
The conference also takes place in a time when India and China are trying to stabilize their relationship very carefully.
Thus, Xi’s visit and the meeting with Modi is not only related to the conference but also has another layer of significance as there are unresolved strategic issues between both nations and yet both of them have huge economic interests in stabilization.
For India, participation in BRICS creates the atmosphere for engagement with China within the framework of a larger dialogue, which will include Russia, Iran, Gulf countries and emerging economies.
Security and Traffic in Delhi
The presence of various world leaders in Delhi has led to a number of security measures being taken in the city. Several layers of security have been put in place around Bharat Mandapam, the hotels where visitors are staying and the roads where the VIPs are traveling on.
Also, Delhi has become the subject of significant beautification campaign in preparation for the BRICS summit, including the installation of BRICS signages, lighting and landscaping, as well as planting thousands of trees along the way to the BRICS summit venue.
Bharat Innovates Exhibition Takes Centre Stage
Another key area that forms a part of India’s BRICS presidency is technology and innovation. The Bharat Innovates Exposition is being organised at Bharat Mandapam on September 11 and 12 concurrent with the summit.
The exposition features deep-tech innovations from India and will bring together start-ups, universities, laboratories, investors and other international stakeholders. A total of 37 Indian deep-tech innovators will participate in the exhibition.
This is aligned perfectly with India’s overall BRICS theme of innovation and future-readiness.
What Happens on the First Day?
The first day will see the arrival of the BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam, the closed door session on inclusive global governance and multilateralism, visit to the Bharat Innovates Exposition, group photograph and joint tree plantation programme.
There will also be a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi for the participating leaders at Bharat Mandapam on the night of September 12.
Apart from the summit programme, bilateral meetings have also provided additional scope for India to forge individual relations with the participating countries.
Why the 18th BRICS Summit Matters for India
In the case of India, the summit is the perfect chance to show the country’s growing influence as a nation economically and diplomatically.
India is trying to use BRICS as a platform to bring about positive development in the developing and emerging nations, while, at the same time, maintaining its relations with countries outside the block.
Conclusion
The 18th BRICS Summit 2026 is more than just another meeting of emerging nations; the summit has come at a time when changes have been seen in the global international system in terms of geopolitics, economy, and security.
With PM Narendra Modi hosting leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi becomes the hub of a significant diplomatic summit which may influence global debates on global governance, trade, energy, technology, and the future role of the emerging nations.
India will now have to work towards building a consensus among nations having varied interests, while keeping in mind that BRICS needs to focus on practical cooperation and development.
The 18th BRICS Summit will place India, New Delhi, and PM Modi at the centre of the rapidly changing global international order with trade, technology, and energy security.
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