Archive · 2 Sep 2026
India’s Fourth BRICS Chair Faces a Much Larger Summit
India is hosting the BRICS meeting for the fourth time.
It previously hosted the group in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The 2021 meeting happened online because of COVID-19.
This time, leaders will meet in person in New Delhi.
BRICS is now much larger than it was in 2021.
It has grown from five full members to 11.
India has also invited 10 partner countries.
This means the meeting will have many more participating countries than India’s earlier BRICS meetings.
India has chaired BRICS three times previously, in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The September 12-13 summit will be held in person at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
BRICS has expanded from five members in 2021 to 11 full members.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia joined the bloc since 2024.
India has invited 10 partner countries, a category that did not exist in 2021.
- Who
- India, the 11 BRICS full members and 10 invited partner countries.
- What
- India is hosting its fourth BRICS summit.
- When
- September 12 and 13; the article references the government’s BRICS 2026 website.
- Where
- Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
- Why
- The summit reflects BRICS’s expansion to 11 full members and the creation of a partner-country category.
- Previous Indian chairs
- 2012, 2016 in Goa, and 2021
- Current full membership
- 11 countries
- Original members
- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
- Members joining from January 2024
- Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia
- Member joining from January 2025
- Indonesia
- Invited partner countries
- 10 countries, including Belarus, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand and Vietnam
- 2021 summit format
- Held entirely by video because of COVID-19