BRICS Summit 2026

Context

1. India will host the 18th BRICS Summit on 12–13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
2. India assumed the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026. This is India’s fourth Chairship, following 2012, 2016 and 2021.
3. The theme for India’s 2026 Chairship is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, guided by the principle of “Humanity First.”

About BRICS

1. BRICS is an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism comprising emerging and developing countries.
2. It originated as BRIC with Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006. South Africa joined in 2011, giving the grouping its present name.
3. BRICS currently has 11 full members:
   • Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
   • Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
   • Indonesia
4. The expansion announced at the 2023 Johannesburg Summit brought Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE into BRICS from 1^st  January 2024.
5. Indonesia became a full BRICS member in January 2025, taking total full membership to 11.
6. BRICS is not a military alliance. It provides a platform for cooperation on political, economic, financial and socio-cultural issues.

Three Pillars of BRICS

1. Political and Security Cooperation: Promotes dialogue on international peace, security and global governance.
2. Economic and Financial Cooperation: Covers trade, investment, finance and development cooperation.
3. People-to-People Exchanges: Promotes cooperation in culture, education, youth and other social areas.

Institutional Framework

1. Annual Chairship: The BRICS Chairship rotates among members. The country holding the Chair leads the annual agenda and hosts the summit.
2. No permanent headquarters: BRICS does not have a permanent headquarters or a conventional permanent secretariat.
3. Consensus-based cooperation: Major decisions are generally taken through consultation and consensus.
4. BRICS functions through summits, ministerial meetings, working groups and other institutional mechanisms.

New Development Bank

1. The New Development Bank (NDB) was established by the founding BRICS countries and became operational in 2015.
2. It finances infrastructure and sustainable development projects.
3. Headquarters: Shanghai, China.
4. The NDB is associated with BRICS but is a separate multilateral development bank.
5. NDB and AIIB are distinct institutions: NDB is headquartered in Shanghai, while the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is headquartered in Beijing.

Significance for India

1. Global South: Strengthens India’s engagement with major emerging and developing economies.
2. Global Governance: Provides a platform to advocate greater representation of developing countries in institutions such as the United Nations, IMF, World Bank and WTO.
3. Economic Cooperation: Creates opportunities for greater trade, investment and financial cooperation.
4. Strategic Engagement: Enables India to engage with countries having diverse geopolitical interests while preserving its strategic autonomy.
5. Development Finance: The NDB provides an additional institutional channel for financing infrastructure and sustainable development.

FAQs

1. What is BRICS?
   BRICS is an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism of emerging and developing countries. It promotes cooperation in political, economic, financial and socio-cultural areas.
2. How many full members does BRICS have?
   BRICS has 11 full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Indonesia.
3. What are the three pillars of BRICS?
   The three broad pillars are political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges.
4. Is BRICS a military alliance?
   No. BRICS is an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism, not a military alliance such as NATO.
5. What is the New Development Bank?
   The NDB is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS founding countries. It supports infrastructure and sustainable development and is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
6. How many times has India chaired BRICS?
   India has held the BRICS Chairship four times—in 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2026.
7. Why is BRICS important for India?
   It strengthens India’s role in the Global South, expands economic and development cooperation, and provides a platform to discuss reforms in global governance institutions.