India Hosts 18th BRICS Summit in Delhi: Putin, Xi and Other Leaders Set to Attend
India will host the 18th BRICS summit of heads of state and government at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026, with the country serving as chair of the grouping for the year. India assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026 — the fourth time it has led the bloc, after 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The BRICS grouping — originally Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — has expanded in recent years, and this summit will be the largest gathering of its kind since enlargement. According to the announced participants' list, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Ethiopia joined in 2024, followed by Indonesia in 2025, taking the bloc's membership to 11.
Who is attending
Among the leaders scheduled to travel to Delhi are Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. China has confirmed that President Xi Jinping will attend, which would be his first visit to India in almost seven years.
The United Arab Emirates will be represented by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while Brazil will be represented by its Foreign Affairs Minister, Mauro Vieira.
South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo and Nigerian Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima are also on the list, along with New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Vietnam Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will also be in Delhi. Uruguay's Foreign Affairs Minister Mario Lubetkin, World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend as well.
Others named include Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Belarus Foreign Affairs Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
Theme and agenda
According to India's presidency documents, the summit is built around inclusive growth, shared responsibility, practical cooperation and a people-centric approach. The theme — 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability' — draws on a humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 Rio summit.
India's stated priorities include strengthening supply chains, cooperation in trade, cross-border payments, technology and artificial intelligence, energy, development finance and reform of global governance. Agriculture, innovation and health are expected to feature prominently, as outlined by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar when he presented India's priority areas at a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers.
Clean energy and sustainable growth are also expected to be discussed. Cross-border payments are likely to draw particular attention, with India advocating greater use of national currencies in trade among member countries.
India's role
As chair, India is responsible for facilitating discussions and coordinating negotiations among member nations. The summit comes at a time of considerable geopolitical tension, including conflicts and instability involving Iran and Ukraine, which are likely to shape the conversations in Delhi.
India's position within BRICS also sits alongside its membership of other groupings, including the Quad and the G20. How Delhi balances these overlapping engagements is likely to be watched closely by partners and observers alike.
Further details on the summit programme, bilateral meetings and joint declarations are expected to be announced closer to the dates.
