Full Breakdown
BRICS 2026 Summit in New Delhi: India’s Diplomatic Balancing Act
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Core Event – New Delhi Hosts the 18th BRICS Summit
On September 12 – 13 2026, New Delhi held the 18th BRICS summit, bringing together leaders of the 11-member bloc—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—plus several partner nations. The gathering produced the “New Delhi Declaration,” which emphasized micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), local-currency trade, and a call for “maximum restraint” in West Asia without naming any state.
Background & Context
BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China; South Africa joined in 2010 and the group expanded to 11 members in 2024-25. India’s “strategic autonomy” doctrine seeks to maintain ties with Russia and Iran while deepening relations with the United States and Europe. The summit occurred amid three overlapping crises: the U.S.–Israel war on Iran that began on February 28 2022, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and heightened U.S.–China tensions. India’s chairmanship was therefore a test of its ability to keep the bloc cohesive while avoiding a perception of anti-Western alignment.
Data & Statistics
- Membership: 11 countries representing roughly 40 % of global GDP and 55 % of the world’s population.
- Economic weight: The bloc accounts for about 28 % of global GDP.
- Inflation in India rose to 4.82 % in August 2026, prompting the Reserve Bank of India to consider a rate hike.
- The New Delhi Declaration contains approximately 140 paragraphs covering health, food security, energy, finance, trade, climate and human development.
Official Statements & Responses
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the summit that “BRICS is not against anyone” and urged the Global South to become a “rule-shaper” rather than a rule-taker. President Xi Jinping, speaking at the closing session, called the bloc a “leading group” of the Global South and pledged to launch a BRICS AI Open-Source Zone and a Special Economic Zone partnership.
Criticism & Opposition
Strategic expert Brahma Chellaney warned that the declaration’s condemnation of unilateral sanctions targets the West while overlooking China’s own export controls on critical minerals, calling it a “double standard.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the extent of criticism directed at the United States and Israel, highlighting the difficulty of assessing the declaration’s stance on the Iran-U.S. conflict.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The summit provided an opportunity for India to demonstrate its diversified portfolio of partnerships, to reiterate that it can be a voice of the Global South and venue for adversaries to communicate,” — Tanvi
- “But there are tradeoffs involved, including bolstering a platform that enables China’s global influence,” — Madan
- “If BRICS is a meeting of equals, China is the most equal,” — Allen R. Carlson
- “Settlement infrastructure is never neutral. Whoever runs the ledger and writes the membership rules holds a chokepoint. BRICS would do well to make sure that no one country has monopoly over the trade settlement architecture,” — Shashwat Alok, associate professor of finance at the Indian School of Business
What’s Next
India will hand the BRICS chair to China in 2027, where President Xi plans to advance the AI Open-Source Zone and a BRICS Service Trade Forum. The bloc also intends to expand interoperable payment systems such as “BRICS Pay” and increase local-currency lending by the New Development Bank to 40 % of its portfolio. Observers note that success will depend on whether member states can agree on concrete implementation mechanisms amid ongoing geopolitical frictions.