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The two-day BRICS summit hosted by India starting on Saturday (September 12) will focus on boosting collective resilience in food, energy, health, disaster reduction, and critical supply chains – positioning the group as an effective anchor to navigate a fragmented geopolitical environment.

The summit in New Delhi is taking place against the backdrop of the global economy facing the adverse impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, the West Asia crisis, especially the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration’s trade and tariff policies.

Top leaders expected to attend

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are among the top leaders expected to attend the crucial meeting.

Also Read: Modi-Putin meeting at BRICS Summit: Trade, ties, defence and Ukraine likely on agenda

With just three days left for the summit, it remains unclear whether the member nations of the grouping reached consensus on a joint statement, as differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the West Asia crisis persist. The grouping operates under a framework of consensus.

Influential grouping

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.

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BRICS emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP, and around 26 per cent of the global trade.

Four pillars

India’s chairing of the grouping centres on the four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.

Under the resilience pillar, India has been focusing on strengthening collective cooperation in areas such as health, agriculture, food, energy, disaster risk reduction, and supply chains, officials said.

Enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, and high technology will also be high on the agenda of the summit, they said.

The theme

Delhi’s BRICS Summit is guided by the theme: ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability’, reflecting its vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “humanity first”.

In addition to these areas, the leaders will exchange views on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Also Read: Why upcoming SCO and BRICS summits are thorny for India

Under India’s chairship this year, over 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been held in over 25 cities across the country to further strengthen the BRICS strategic partnership across three fundamental pillars: political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

India is a founding member of BRICS and has previously held its chairship in 2012, 2016, and 2021. India assumed its fourth BRICS chairship on 1 January 2026.

Begins with closed-door session

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the summit will begin at 2.35 pm on Saturday with a closed-door session for BRICS member countries themed “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism”.

Also Read: BRICS India 2026 logo unveiled as India assumes chair of grouping

Following the session, leaders will tour the “Bharat Innovates Exhibition”, scheduled to open at 4.25 pm. At 5.05 pm, the leaders will assemble on the lawns of Bharat Mandapam – the summit venue – for a group photo, followed by a joint tree-planting ceremony.

The first day’s engagements will conclude with a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7.30 pm.

Open session on Sunday

On Sunday (September 13), leaders from BRICS member states, partner nations, and outreach invitees will arrive from 9.55 am, followed by an official group photo at 10.35 am.

The open session, titled “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth”, is scheduled to begin at 10.50 am, according to the schedule released by the MEA.

The summit will culminate with the release of the New Delhi Declaration.

(With agency inputs)