India Today convened an international panel to unpack the agenda, schedule, and diplomatic stakes as India hosts the expanded BRICS leaders’ meeting at Bharat Mandapam on September 12–13, 2026.
Summit dates and venue: Leaders meet at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 12–13, 2026 with a pre-summit BRICS Business Forum on September 11.
India’s chairship theme is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," stressing multilateral reform, supply-chain and food/energy security, and alternative payment arrangements.
High-profile bilateral encounters are expected on the sidelines, including planned meetings between India and China and between India and Russia.
India Today hosted a global "BRICS Roundtable" program ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit that India is officially hosting in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026. The broadcast brought together international voices to explain what the summit will cover, who will attend, and why this edition matters for the Global South.
The leaders' summit takes place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. A BRICS Business Forum and other pre-summit events are scheduled for September 11, with the two-day leaders' meeting on September 12–13.
Chairship priorities and official theme
India's chairship for 2026 is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." That framing directs the summit toward practical fronts: strengthening critical supply chains, addressing food and energy security, and advancing trade in national currencies as alternatives to the dollar.
Core agenda items discussed on the Roundtable
Participation and diplomatic dynamics
High-profile bilateral meetings on the sidelines
The Roundtable flagged several bilateral engagements that could shape summit outcomes. Notable among these are a scheduled meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping—their first formal bilateral since the 2020 Galwan clash—and a planned Modi-Putin meeting. Corporate and business leaders will take part in the BRICS Business Forum on September 11.
Political and economic implications
Summit as a gathering that balances immediate economic and security concerns with a broader push for institutional change. The two days at Bharat Mandapam will test whether the expanded BRICS grouping can translate a broad Global South agenda into shared, practical steps.
India is preparing to host a landmark diplomatic gathering as leaders from the expanded BRICS grouping converge in New Delhi for the 18th Leaders’ Summit, which coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the bloc’s foundation.The summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan on September 12 and 13, with hea
The national capital has been adorned with illuminated installations and vibrant posters as India prepares to host the BRICS Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam on 12–13 September.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the high-profile gathering, which will bring together heads of state, foreign delegates, leaders o
A larger BRICS, a changing world and India’s effort to build bridges through cooperation “India aims to reinforce BRICS as a constructive force for a more inclusive global order.” The 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026, has given fresh importance to a grouping that has grown far beyond […]
India is preparing to conclude its 2026 chairship of the expanded BRICS grouping with the 18th Leaders’ Summit scheduled in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.The presidency, which commenced on January 1, 2026, has been guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, emphasising
Organized by AP Globale in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra, GIF II has been conceptualised as an international soft power festival, exploring how culture, knowledge systems, heritage and creative expression can build meaningful connections between nations.
The 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗦 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, hosted by India in New Delhi, has placed agriculture and food security among its key areas of cooperation. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗵𝗶 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿-𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 focused on BRICS AGRIN, Farmers’ Rights and seed systems,
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.
