The 2026 Brics Summit, scheduled for 12–13 September at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, is shaping up to be one of India’s most consequential diplomatic moments in recent years. As global politics fracture along geopolitical, economic and technological lines, India’s stewardship of Brics offers a rare chance to demonstrate that a multipolar world can be cooperative rather than chaotic.
The summit arrives at a time of global tensions, disrupted supply chains, and widening divides between the East, West and Global South. India will assume the Brics presidency, placing New Delhi at the centre of efforts to balance strategic autonomy with its partnerships in Western-led platforms while also strengthening cooperation within Brics.
With the group’s expansion into Brics+, the bloc now includes 11 member states — among them Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, the UAE and Indonesia — dramatically increasing its representational weight. Brics today accounts for nearly half the world’s population, 40% of global GDP, and more than a quarter of global trade. The Delhi summit will test whether this larger grouping can move beyond rhetoric and build functional institutional mechanisms.
The summit is particularly significant because it coincides with the 20th anniversary of Brics cooperation. India has an opportunity to position itself as an indispensable bridge in global diplomacy, amplifying the voice of the Global South and shaping a more balanced international order. Key priorities include food security, climate finance, and equitable technology governance, areas where developing nations seek stronger representation.