New Delhi: India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, marking its fourth time at the helm of the grouping after chairing it in 2012, 2016, and 2021.
All set for BRICS 2026!@BricsIndia2026 pic.twitter.com/nXqqoBmoAm
This time, New Delhi is seeking to steer the expanded grouping towards practical economic cooperation while strengthening its role as a voice for the Global South.
For New Delhi, the summit is about more than geopolitical declarations.
With BRICS now expanded to 11 members across Asia, Africa, West Asia and Latin America, India is looking to use its 2026 chairship to push the bloc towards practical cooperation, from trade and cross-border payments to technology, investment and development.
The approach reflects India's 2026 BRICS chairship theme: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.'
India's priorities include expanding intra-BRICS trade, improving payment mechanisms and reducing friction in cross-border transactions.
New Delhi is also pushing for more resilient and diversified supply chains, particularly in areas such as pharmaceuticals, food and critical industries.
At the trade ministers' meeting in August, BRICS members advanced work on global value chains, digitally delivered services and the proposed Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2030. India also pushed for greater trade opportunities for MSMEs and stronger access to trade finance.
Cross-border payments are another major focus. India is advocating greater use of national currencies and has been pushing discussions on linking digital payment systems and central bank digital currencies among BRICS members.
New Delhi also wants the bloc to support reforms of global institutions, including greater representation for developing economies.
But India's BRICS strategy is not limited to economics. The summit will also test New Delhi's approach to managing competing interests within an increasingly diverse grouping.
The tie with China is likely to be India's most important item among the summit goals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to hold a bilateral meeting during the summit.
New Delhi wants to maintain dialogue with Beijing while protecting its own strategic interests.
A key objective is stabilising bilateral relations, particularly along the India-China border, especially the LAC, after the Galwan clash in 2020. At the same time, India wants greater balance in bilateral trade and improved market access for Indian businesses.
For BRICS, India is also likely to resist any attempt to turn the grouping into an explicitly anti-Western bloc.
Instead, New Delhi's preferred approach is to position BRICS as a platform for economic cooperation and a stronger voice for developing countries.
Russia remains important to India for energy, defence and strategic cooperation.
New Delhi is likely to seek continued access to Russian energy and fertilisers while maintaining defence and nuclear-energy cooperation.
Trade in national currencies and mechanisms that make bilateral transactions easier are also important areas of discussion.
India's broader objective is to preserve its strategic partnership with Moscow while maintaining room for independent foreign-policy choices.
The expanded BRICS grouping gives India a stronger platform for engagement with major Gulf economies.
With Saudi Arabia and the UAE, India is looking for investment, energy cooperation, logistics partnerships and stronger supply chains.
The UAE, in particular, is important to India's plans for connectivity linking South Asia with the Gulf, Africa and other emerging markets.
Saudi Arabia's investment capacity also makes it an important partner for India's infrastructure, energy and manufacturing ambitions.
At the same time, the presence of Iran and the Gulf states in the same grouping creates a diplomatic challenge for India.
The current conflict involving Iran and the wider West Asia crisis have added another layer of complexity to the summit.
For Iran, India's interests are closely linked to connectivity.
The Chabahar port is central to India's efforts to build access to Afghanistan and Central Asia while creating alternative trade routes.
New Delhi also wants cooperation in energy, transport and regional connectivity.
Brazil and South Africa are important to India's effort to strengthen the Global South within BRICS.
With Brazil, India can work on agriculture, food security, climate action, health and development cooperation.
South Africa is similarly important for coordination on development finance, energy transition, health and reform of global institutions.
Together, the three countries can also push for greater representation of developing economies in institutions such as the UN, IMF and World Bank.
The newer members also offer India opportunities to expand its economic and strategic partnerships.
Egypt can strengthen India's connectivity with Africa and the Mediterranean, while also offering cooperation in food and energy security.
Ethiopia provides opportunities for deeper engagement with East Africa, particularly in agriculture, healthcare, digital systems and capacity building.
Indonesia is important for cooperation on maritime issues, critical minerals, energy and food security, as well as broader coordination among developing Asian economies.
India's biggest diplomatic challenge may be managing the competing interests inside BRICS itself.
China and Russia have often viewed BRICS as part of a broader effort to reshape the global order, while India has consistently sought strategic autonomy and a more development-focused approach.
The expanded grouping has also brought together countries with competing regional interests.
That means India is likely to push consensus wherever possible, while keeping contentious geopolitical issues from overshadowing economic cooperation.
The ongoing West Asia crisis makes that task particularly difficult, with Iran and the UAE now both part of the grouping.
For New Delhi, a successful summit would likely mean tangible progress rather than another broad political declaration.
Key outcomes could include:
India's trade agenda already reflects this practical approach. BRICS members have backed work on resilient global value chains, MSME financing and digitally delivered services, while India has pushed for a more balanced expansion of intra-BRICS trade.
India is effectively trying to make BRICS more useful than ideological.
New Delhi wants different things from different partners: stability and balanced engagement with China, energy and strategic cooperation with Russia, investment from the Gulf, connectivity through Iran and Egypt, and stronger Global South coordination with Brazil, South Africa and other developing economies.
The challenge will be turning those different national interests into common outcomes.
That will determine whether India's 2026 BRICS chairship produces another political summit or a bloc capable of delivering practical economic cooperation.
(Inputs based on official MEA documents, supplemented by interpretation of India’s bilateral interests.)