Archive · 15 Sep 2026
BRICS 2026 Summit Balances Consensus, Trade Goals and Persistent Challenges
India hosted the 2026 BRICS meeting with leaders from 11 member countries.
They agreed on a large document called the New Delhi Declaration.
The document condemned a 2025 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir and discussed conflict in West Asia.
India also suggested a system to make sure future BRICS leaders continue unfinished projects.
The group wants to improve trade, investment, technology cooperation and digital payments.
However, BRICS countries still disagree about some international conflicts.
They also have not created a shared payments system or common BRICS currency.
The next major test will be whether China continues these efforts when it becomes chair in 2027.
The 18th BRICS Summit, hosted by India on September 12-13, adopted a 140-point New Delhi Declaration.
The declaration condemned the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir and addressed tensions in West Asia.
India proposed a BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism to track initiatives across successive presidencies.
Members advanced discussions on trade, development finance, supply chains and digital payments, but several proposals remain under development.
BRICS has no operational common cross-border payments system, and China’s economic dominance and differing national regulations complicate progress.
- Who
- Leaders of the 11 BRICS member countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the summit.
- What
- The summit adopted the New Delhi Declaration and discussed cooperation on trade, investment, payments, technology, development and international conflicts.
- When
- September 12-13, 2026.
- Where
- New Delhi, India, with India hosting the summit and related events across the country.
- Why
- India sought to build consensus among an expanded BRICS, strengthen practical economic cooperation and ensure that initiatives continue across presidencies.
Expansion and Practical Cooperation
Consensus and Implementation Concerns
Larger BRICS membership
Expansion and Practical Cooperation
Expansion to 11 members and 10 partner countries has increased the group’s economic weight and market opportunities.
Consensus and Implementation Concerns
The more diverse membership makes consensus more difficult, particularly on international conflicts.
Economic initiatives
Expansion and Practical Cooperation
India promoted the BRICS Economic Partnership 2030, development finance, infrastructure, investment and interoperable digital payments.
Consensus and Implementation Concerns
Several initiatives, including the investment platform and payments architecture, remain under development and face regulatory, exchange-rate and trade-imbalance obstacles.
India-China engagement
Expansion and Practical Cooperation
The meeting between Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping signaled efforts to stabilize relations and expand cooperation in trade, supply chains and people-to-people exchanges.
Consensus and Implementation Concerns
The two countries’ statements differed in emphasis and tone, while peace and tranquility along the border remain essential to bilateral ties.
- Summit
- The 18th BRICS Summit was held on September 12-13, 2026.
- Declaration
- Members adopted a 140-point New Delhi Declaration.
- BRICS composition
- The grouping had 11 members and 10 partner countries in 2026.
- Next chair
- China was endorsed as the BRICS chair for 2027.
- India-BRICS trade
- Trade rose from $203 billion in 2020-2021 to $417 billion in 2025-2026.
- India’s programme
- India organised more than 350 BRICS meetings across 30 Indian cities.
- Payments status
- BRICS does not yet have an operational system for cross-border trade in national currencies.