New Delhi: India’s fourth BRICS chairship comes at a significantly different moment for the grouping, which has expanded from its original five members to 11 and now represents a broader mix of emerging economies.
As New Delhi prepares to host the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13, the focus will extend beyond the bloc’s traditional economic agenda to technology, digital transformation, energy security, climate action and people-centric development.
The 2026 summit also carries added diplomatic significance, with Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to attend, potentially making it his first visit to India since 2019.
Against this backdrop, India’s BRICS chairship is seeking to give the grouping a more practical and development-oriented focus under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
BRICS today is considerably larger than the grouping that India helped establish. Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010, the bloc expanded in 2024 with the entry of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE, followed by Indonesia becoming a full member in 2025.
The 11-member grouping now includes Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.
The expansion has given BRICS greater geographic and economic diversity while also increasing the range of issues it seeks to address.
India assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026, marking its fourth stint after earlier chairships in 2012, 2016 and 2021. This year also marks 20 years since the establishment of BRICS.
Under its chairship, India has organised more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements across over 25 cities, covering the grouping’s three broad pillars—political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
India has sought to widen the focus of BRICS cooperation beyond trade and finance. Discussions during its chairship have covered technology and innovation, digital transformation, energy, sustainable development, education, skills and employment, urban development and global governance.
The grouping is also expected to discuss issues including terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, the international financial system, trade and the World Trade Organisation.
One of the key diplomatic developments surrounding the summit is the expected participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. If confirmed, it would be his first visit to India since 2019.
Reuters has reported that Chinese officials were preparing for a possible visit, although China had not officially confirmed his attendance at the time of the report. His presence could add significance to the summit given the importance of India-China ties to the wider BRICS agenda.
The biggest change, therefore, is not simply the number of countries at the table. BRICS has become a larger and more diverse platform, while its agenda is expanding into technology, sustainability, energy, digital cooperation and global governance.
For India, the 2026 chairship provides an opportunity to shape this expanded grouping around what New Delhi describes as a people-centric “Humanity First” approach, while pushing for practical outcomes from a bloc that has grown substantially since its early years.
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