The BRICS Summit 2026 was hosted by India in New Delhi under its 4th BRICS Chairship. The 18th BRICS Summit was held on 12–13 September 2026 and focused on strengthening cooperation among member countries and giving greater importance to the Global South. The summit was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with discussions covering global governance, trade, finance, technology, sustainable development, health, energy and supply-chain resilience.
What is BRICS Summit 2026?
The BRICS Summit is the annual meeting of leaders of BRICS member countries to discuss major global, economic and development-related issues. In 2026, India chaired the grouping and brought its focus to four major areas: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. The summit also marked around two decades of BRICS cooperation and highlighted the need for stronger representation of emerging markets and developing countries in global decision-making.
| Particulars | Details |
| Summit | 18th BRICS Summit |
| Host Country | India |
| Venue | New Delhi |
| Dates | 12–13 September 2026 |
| Chair | India |
| Theme | Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability |
| Major Declaration | New Delhi BRICS Leaders’ Declaration |
| Next Chair | China |
| Key Focus | Global governance, trade, finance, technology, sustainability and Global South |
Download BRICS Summit Quiz PDF
Download the BRICS Summit 2026 Quiz PDF to revise important facts related to the summit, including its theme, members, India’s presidency, key outcomes, New Delhi Declaration, Global South, NDB, CRA, de-dollarisation and other important current-affairs topics.
Attempt BRICS Summit Quiz
Test your preparation with the BRICS Summit 2026 Quiz and check your understanding of the summit’s key facts, major initiatives, member countries, important declarations and India’s role.
1. Where was the 18th BRICS Summit of 2026 held?
2. What theme is associated with India’s BRICS Presidency in 2026?
3. Which broad constituency does BRICS seek to advance?
4. Which of the following is NOT listed as a major area of BRICS cooperation?
5. What should development include in addition to economic growth?
6. Which technology areas are specifically cited to illustrate the growing importance of technological capability?
7. the use of domestic currencies in trade primarily with which objective?
8. Which shift is used as an example of greater inclusiveness?
9. approximately what share of the global population is represented by BRICS?
10. What approximate share of world GDP is attributed to BRICS?
11. What approximate share of global trade is attributed to BRICS?
12. How many full BRICS members are stated for 2026?
13. Which four countries formed the original BRIC grouping?
14. What change followed South Africa’s inclusion in the grouping?
15. Which country is described as becoming the 11th full member in January 2025?
16. Which set contains only partner countries named?
17. What main advantage of BRICS diversity is highlighted by its expanded membership?
18. The acronym ‘BRIC’ was coined in which year?
19. Which institution is associated with coining the BRIC acronym?
20. What was the title of the economic paper mentioned in connection with the origin of BRIC?
21. What did the original BRIC idea emphasize about Brazil, Russia, India and China?
22. Where was the first BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting held in 2006?
23. When was the first formal BRIC Summit held?
24. Which country hosted the first formal BRIC Summit?
25. What major global event is described as a defining moment in BRICS evolution?
26. The 2008 global financial crisis strengthened calls for what?
27. Which objective best captures the early political purpose of BRICS as explained?
28. What kind of international order does BRICS seek to promote?
29. Which area is explicitly cited as an example of practical BRICS cooperation on security?
30. BRICS advocacy for greater representation is linked to reform of which type of institutions?
Quiz Summary
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What was the theme of India’s BRICS Presidency 2026?
India’s BRICS Presidency 2026 was guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The four pillars provided a framework for discussions across political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people cooperation. India linked these priorities with inclusive development, technological progress, sustainable growth and stronger cooperation among BRICS countries.
- Resilience: Building stronger systems to manage global shocks and disruptions.
- Innovation: Promoting technology, startups, research and digital solutions.
- Cooperation: Strengthening economic, political, financial and people-to-people ties.
- Sustainability: Supporting climate action, sustainable development and responsible growth.
Which countries are members of BRICS in 2026?
BRICS has expanded significantly from its original four-country grouping. Brazil, Russia, India and China formed the original BRIC group, while South Africa joined later. The 2026 BRICS grouping includes 11 full members, covering major emerging economies across different regions.
| Category | Countries |
| Original BRIC | Brazil, Russia, India, China |
| Added in 2011 | South Africa |
| Expanded members | Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE |
| Added in 2025 | Indonesia |
| Total Full Members | 11 |
The 2026 official BRICS information lists Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and UAE as members.
What were the major focus areas of BRICS Summit 2026?
The summit covered a wide range of economic, political, technological and social issues. A major focus was making BRICS cooperation more practical and people-centred. The New Delhi Declaration also stressed stronger multilateralism, greater representation of emerging markets and developing countries, resilient supply chains and sustainable development.
- Reform of global governance and multilateral institutions
- Greater representation of the Global South
- International trade and investment
- Use of local currencies in trade
- Financial cooperation and payment systems
- Digital Public Infrastructure
- Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies
- Climate change and sustainable development
- Energy and food security
- Health cooperation
- Disaster risk reduction
- Resilient global supply chains
- Support for startups and MSMEs
- Science, technology and innovation
What is the New Delhi BRICS Leaders’ Declaration 2026?
The New Delhi BRICS Leaders’ Declaration was adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit. It reaffirmed the grouping’s commitment to sovereign equality, cooperation, inclusiveness, multilateralism and sustainable development. The declaration also called for greater participation of emerging markets and developing countries in global decision-making and highlighted cooperation in technology, trade, finance, health and other sectors.
- Greater participation of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) in global decision-making.
- Support for reform and strengthening of multilateral institutions.
- Greater cooperation in trade and investment.
- Development of resilient and reliable global value chains.
- Promotion of technology transfer and productive capacities.
- Greater cooperation in science, technology and innovation.
- Support for startups, SMEs and innovation ecosystems.
- Strengthening of cooperation on international taxation.
- Cooperation in competition law and policy.
- Support for sustainable development and climate resilience.
What were the four pillars of India’s BRICS Presidency?
India structured its 2026 BRICS Chairship around four pillars: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. These pillars were used to organise initiatives across agriculture, health, education, trade, technology, finance, energy and environment. India’s approach also placed emphasis on practical and actionable cooperation among BRICS countries.
| Pillar | Major Areas |
| Resilience | Agriculture, health, disaster management, supply chains, transport and trade |
| Innovation | Digital agriculture, digital health, startups, science, AI and research |
| Cooperation | Agriculture, anti-corruption, finance, culture, taxation and law enforcement |
| Sustainability | Energy, forests, climate action, healthy lifestyles and sustainable aviation |
What were the key initiatives under the Resilience pillar?
The Resilience pillar focused on improving the ability of BRICS countries to respond to economic, health, environmental and supply-chain disruptions. Cooperation was discussed in areas such as agriculture, disaster management, health, trade and transport. Early-warning systems and resilient infrastructure were also given importance.
- Cooperation in agriculture and agricultural research
- Joint efforts against illicit drug trafficking
- Resilient infrastructure and connectivity
- Disaster management and early-warning systems
- Climate-resilient urban infrastructure
- Academic cooperation and traditional knowledge
- Integrated health early-warning systems
- Internationalisation of MSMEs
- Improved trade finance
- Stronger logistics and supply chains
What were the key initiatives under the Innovation pillar?
The Innovation pillar focused on using science and technology to support economic growth and solve social challenges. Important areas included digital agriculture, digital health, startups, intellectual property, research infrastructure and emerging technologies. The declaration welcomed the establishment of the BRICS Incubator Network and further consideration of a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund.
- BRICS network on digital agriculture
- Digital health cooperation
- BRICS Incubator Network
- Proposed BRICS Startup Innovation Fund
- Science and Research Repository
- Cooperation in emerging technologies
- Research infrastructure and mega science projects
- Youth and startup innovation initiatives
- Traditional medicine knowledge documentation
- Cooperation in AI and other emerging technologies
What were the key initiatives under the Cooperation pillar?
The Cooperation pillar aimed to strengthen practical cooperation between BRICS members across different sectors. It included agriculture, anti-corruption, culture, finance, taxation, law enforcement and traditional medicine. These initiatives were designed to improve information sharing, capacity building and institutional cooperation.
- Agriculture and agricultural inputs cooperation
- Anti-corruption cooperation
- Law-enforcement and practitioner-level cooperation
- Cultural conservation and art-history initiatives
- Digital Public Infrastructure cooperation
- International taxation and transfer pricing
- BRICS Authorised Economic Operator cooperation
- Traditional and complementary medicine cooperation
- Capacity-building programmes
What were the key initiatives under the Sustainability pillar?
The Sustainability pillar focused on balancing economic development with environmental protection and public health. Energy transition, forests, climate action, healthy lifestyles and sustainable aviation were among the important areas. The approach linked sustainability with long-term economic and social resilience.
- Smart-grid cooperation
- Digital centres of excellence
- Forest and forest-fire management
- Integrated landscape management
- Sustainable aviation fuels
- Healthy lifestyle initiatives
- Cooperation in disease prevention
- Sustainable development and climate action
- Financing and governance for development
How does BRICS support the Global South?
BRICS has increasingly positioned itself as a platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries. India used its 2026 Chairship to highlight the need for greater representation of the Global South in global decision-making. The New Delhi Declaration called for more meaningful participation of EMDCs and Least Developed Countries in international institutions and structures.
- Greater representation in global institutions
- Stronger participation in international decision-making
- Support for developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America
- Greater cooperation in trade and development
- Technology transfer and capacity building
- Stronger voice on global governance reforms
- Promotion of inclusive and sustainable growth
What is the role of de-dollarisation in BRICS?
De-dollarisation refers to reducing excessive dependence on the US dollar in international transactions. BRICS discussions have included greater use of national currencies, cross-border payment systems and digital financial technologies. The broader objective is to make international trade and financial cooperation more efficient while respecting the monetary and financial systems of individual countries. The 2026 discussions continued to place importance on financial cooperation and local-currency settlement.
- Greater use of national currencies in trade
- Development of cross-border payment mechanisms
- Financial technology cooperation
- Exploration of CBDC interoperability
- Lower transaction costs
- Greater financial resilience
- Reduced dependence on a single international currency
What is the role of the New Development Bank in BRICS?
The New Development Bank (NDB) was created to support infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other eligible member countries. It provides an alternative source of development finance alongside existing international financial institutions. The NDB is an important part of BRICS economic and financial cooperation and supports projects related to infrastructure and sustainable development.
| Feature | Details |
| Name | New Development Bank |
| Short Name | NDB |
| Purpose | Infrastructure and sustainable development financing |
| Established | 2015 |
| BRICS Link | Major financial institution of BRICS |
| Key Areas | Infrastructure, sustainable development and development finance |
What is the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)?
The BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is a financial safety mechanism designed to provide short-term liquidity support to member countries facing balance-of-payments or foreign-exchange pressures. It strengthens financial cooperation and provides an additional layer of protection during periods of external financial stress.
- Overall size: USD 100 billion
- Purpose: Short-term liquidity support
- Supports financial stability among BRICS members
- Helps address balance-of-payments pressures
- Complements broader BRICS financial cooperation
What is the importance of CBDC and digital payments for BRICS?
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and digital payment systems have become important areas of BRICS financial cooperation. A CBDC is a digital form of a country’s sovereign currency issued by its central bank. Discussions around interoperability of national digital currencies aim to make cross-border payments faster, more efficient and less costly.
- CBDC means Central Bank Digital Currency.
- India’s digital currency is the e-rupee.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is responsible for the e-rupee.
- BRICS has discussed technical interoperability of sovereign digital currencies.
- Digital payment systems can support faster cross-border transactions.
- Legal, technical and trust-related challenges still need to be addressed.
What are the major challenges faced by BRICS?
BRICS brings together countries with different political systems, economic structures, strategic interests and foreign-policy positions. These differences can make consensus difficult on sensitive global issues. At the same time, the expanded membership has increased the group’s geographical and economic reach. The 2026 summit also showed that BRICS members continue to face differences over geopolitical conflicts and other international issues.
- Differences in foreign-policy positions
- Conflicting views on international conflicts
- India-China strategic differences
- Different economic and development models
- Challenges in creating common payment systems
- Differences over the pace of de-dollarisation
- Coordination among an expanded membership
- Need for stronger implementation of BRICS initiatives
Why is BRICS Summit 2026 important for India?
The 2026 Summit provided India with an opportunity to lead an expanded BRICS grouping and promote its priorities on global governance, development, technology and economic cooperation. India also used the platform to highlight the interests of the Global South and support greater representation in international institutions. The summit strengthened India’s engagement with both emerging economies and wider BRICS partner countries.
- Greater representation of the Global South
- Reform of global governance institutions
- Stronger economic and trade cooperation
- Digital Public Infrastructure
- Technology and innovation
- Sustainable development
- Resilient supply chains
- Health and disaster preparedness
- Greater use of local currencies in trade
- Stronger cooperation with BRICS partner countries
FAQs
The 18th BRICS Summit 2026 was held in New Delhi, India.
The theme was “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
India chaired BRICS in 2026 for the 4th time.
BRICS has 11 full members in 2026.
It is the joint declaration adopted by BRICS leaders outlining their shared priorities and areas of cooperation.
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