As New Delhi prepares to host the 18th BRICS Summit on 12–13 September, the question dominating diplomatic circles is whether the bloc is ready for another round of expansion. The summit marks 20 years since BRICS’ founding foreign ministers first met in 2006, and India — holding the chair for the fourth time — is steering a group that has transformed dramatically in recent years.
BRICS, once a simple acronym coined by Wall Street economists, has evolved into a heavyweight geopolitical coalition representing 49% of the world’s population, nearly 39% of global GDP (PPP), and over 23% of global trade. After expanding from five nations to eleven in 2025, interest from other countries has surged. Turkey, Malaysia, Nigeria, Colombia, and several others are actively signalling their desire to join, seeing BRICS as a platform for multipolar cooperation outside traditional Western-led institutions.
This year’s summit comes during one of the most intense diplomatic months for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting leaders including Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and heads of state from Africa, West Asia, and Latin America — followed by high‑stakes engagements at the UN General Assembly. Analysts describe India’s diplomatic calendar as a “masterclass in multipolar balancing.”
Under India’s 2026 chairship, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the Ministry of External Affairs has anchored preparations in a people‑centric ‘Humanity First’ vision. Over 350 ministerial meetings, working groups, business forums, and cultural exchanges have already taken place across multiple Indian cities.
Preparatory tracks have focused on three pillars:
- Global governance reforms — counter‑terrorism, cybersecurity, dispute resolution.
- Economic coordination — local currency settlements, digital payments, SME access.
- People‑centric cooperation — academic ties, youth summits, science and disaster management.