India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13, 2026. This crucial meeting of leaders is taking place at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre in New Delhi. This special meeting marks the group’s 20th anniversary and is the first summit hosted by India following the group’s historic expansion.
India’s BRICS presidency is based on the theme “Building for Strength, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability,” reflecting the vision of “Humanity First.” India, a founding member of BRICS, assumed the presidency for the fourth time on January 1, 2026. This year also marks 20 years since BRICS was established.
This pivotal summit sees the in-person presence of several major world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, attending a BRICS summit outside Russia in person for the first time since the start of the Ukraine war, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting India for the first time in seven years.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal urged BRICS member nations
On Friday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal urged BRICS member nations to link their payment systems, promote trade in local currencies, and make digital trade more accessible globally.
Addressing the inaugural session of the BRICS Business Forum 2026, he stated that India has taken significant initiatives in developing digital public infrastructure. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has crossed the milestone of over 250 billion annual transactions, accounting for more than half of the total transactions worldwide.
He said, “Today, it (UPI) is accepted in 11 countries, and I urge BRICS member nations and partner countries to link our payment systems, trade in each other’s local currencies, globalise digital trade, and collaborate on emerging future technologies.” This business forum was held during the two-day BRICS Summit hosted by India, which began on Saturday. This summit is taking place amidst rising global economic uncertainties caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, the US-Iran conflict (which led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz), and the Trump administration’s tariff policies.
Here are the live updates for the BRICS Summit 2026:
Russian President Vladimir Putin states that new drivers of growth are replacing established economic powers: the world is undergoing profound structural changes as new factors of development take the place of the traditional leaders who once spearheaded economic growth.
President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, who arrived in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, met with a group of Indian religious leaders, intellectuals, and businesspeople on Friday evening, 20 Shahrivar 1405.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says, “There are differing opinions within BRICS, but all members of the group believe that national currencies should be strengthened and that trade among member nations should be conducted using national currencies. However, the idea of having a single currency is still under consideration.”
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. received a warm welcome upon his arrival in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in his capacity as the current ASEAN Chair. He was received by Minister of State (MoS) Anupriya Patel.
As a key pillar of India’s ‘Act East’ Policy, India and ASEAN share a comprehensive strategic partnership focused on trade, maritime security, and mutual connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region.
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