India will host the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries along with outreach invitees.
India is chairing the grouping this year under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The two-day meeting will focus on strengthening cooperation among members and discussions on major global and regional issues.
More than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have already taken place in over 25 Indian cities as part of India's BRICS chairship. A meeting of BRICS finance ministers and Central bank governors is also scheduled in Mumbai on September 9 and 10, just before the leaders' summit.
What is BRICS?
BRICS began as an informal grouping in 2006, with its first formal summit taking place in 2009. It now comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
India is a founding member and has previously chaired BRICS in 2012, 2016 and 2021. It assumed its fourth chairship on January 1, 2026, the year the grouping marks 20 years since its establishment.
The expanded bloc represents a significant share of the global population, economy and trade. Its growing membership has also increased its geopolitical importance.
Why does BRICS matter?
BRICS is not a formal international organisation. Instead, it serves as a platform for emerging and developing economies to coordinate on economic and diplomatic issues.
The grouping has sought greater representation for emerging economies in institutions such as the United Nations, IMF and World Bank. Its growing role also puts it at the centre of discussions on conflicts, global trade, energy and the balance between Western and non-Western powers.
“The group is poised to exert influence over the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine, the shape of the global economic system, the competition between China and the West, and efforts to transition to clean energy,” writes Zongyuan Zoe Liu, CFR Expert and Maurice R Greenberg Senior Fellow for China Studies.
At the same time, differences among members remain a challenge, particularly as the bloc has expanded and its members have competing geopolitical interests.
What does BRICS mean for India?
For New Delhi, BRICS offers a platform to engage simultaneously with countries such as China, Russia and Iran while maintaining its partnerships with the US, Europe, Japan and Australia.
India's 2026 chairship has focused on trade, services, global supply chains and improving access to finance for smaller businesses. At the BRICS Trade Ministers' meeting in Jaipur, members backed principles aimed at improving MSME access to global markets and reducing the trade-finance gap.
India's balancing act
The current geopolitical climate makes India's role particularly complicated. The conflict involving the US and Iran has raised concerns over energy supplies, shipping and oil prices, while West Asia remains important to India's energy, trade and diaspora interests.
Iran has also urged India to use its diplomatic relationships to help move the region towards dialogue. Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on August 31 on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, with regional developments and peace efforts among the issues discussed.
The summit could therefore test India's ability to balance its relationships across competing blocs while using its BRICS chairship to push for greater cooperation among its diverse members.