BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi: What India Wants From the Expanded Bloc

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026. The grouping now has 11 members and represents a large share of the world's population, economic output and trade. India assumed the chairship on January 1 and has used the year to hold hundreds of meetings across multiple sectors.

The four pillars of India's chairship

India's theme is Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. The framework is designed to connect economic resilience with technology, development, climate action and stronger cooperation among member countries. It also reflects India's people-centric approach to multilateral diplomacy.

From geopolitics to practical cooperation

The bigger opportunity is to make BRICS useful in areas where members have overlapping interests. Trade facilitation, supply chains, digital systems, agriculture, health, energy and innovation are more likely to produce measurable gains than broad political slogans alone.

Why consensus will be difficult

The expanded group is also more diverse. Members have different positions on conflicts, sanctions, trade and relations with major Western powers. India therefore faces the difficult task of finding language and projects that can command support across very different national interests.

How India can measure success

A successful chairship should leave behind working networks and mechanisms rather than only declarations. Progress on trade, logistics, startup cooperation, science, digital connectivity and development finance would give BRICS a stronger practical identity and strengthen India's reputation as a bridge-builder.

Sources and further reading

Research for this article draws on official Indian government releases and current reporting from established news organisations. Darshikam editorial content is written for context, clarity and search-friendly discovery.