New Delhi: The 18th BRICS Summit formally got underway at Bharat Mandapam, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcoming leaders of member countries and inaugurating the summit. In his opening remarks, Modi underlined that BRICS is not directed against anyone, but is guided by a spirit of mutual respect, cooperation and inclusiveness.
Welcoming the participating leaders and delegations, the Prime Minister said India’s BRICS Chairship has been guided by a “People-Centric and Humanity First” approach, with resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability identified as key priorities. He said India placed particular emphasis on connecting BRICS cooperation with the lives and aspirations of ordinary people.
“India’s BRICS Chairship is based on a People-Centric and Humanity First approach,” Modi said, noting that more than 350 meetings were organised during the year across nearly 30 cities. He thanked all participating countries and their teams for their active contribution and support in making India’s BRICS Chairship successful.
BRICS Completes 20 Years
Reflecting on the evolution of the grouping, Prime Minister Modi described this year’s summit as a historic milestone, as BRICS marks its 20th anniversary. Drawing a parallel with a person reaching the age of 20, he said this stage represents the beginning of greater maturity and responsibility, when aspirations are accompanied by new responsibilities and capabilities receive a fresh direction.
Modi said BRICS has established a distinctive identity on the global stage over the past two decades. He emphasised that member countries respect one another and seek to move forward with a sense of responsibility.
The Prime Minister stressed that BRICS should continue to work not against anyone, but with an approach of taking everyone along. The grouping, he said, should remain focused on cooperation, mutual respect and constructive engagement.
Modi Calls for an Ambitious 20-Year Roadmap
Looking ahead, Modi said the time has come to convert the unity and consensus within BRICS into concrete outcomes on the global stage. He called for a new and ambitious agenda for the next 20 years, beginning with improvements in the grouping’s own working mechanisms.
The Prime Minister pointed out that although the BRICS Chairship rotates every year, the change in leadership should not interrupt the grouping’s institutional momentum.
To address this, Modi proposed a “continuity and implementation mechanism” for BRICS, under which the BRICS Troika could ensure regular follow-up of initiatives and outcomes.
The proposal aims to give greater continuity to decisions taken during successive presidencies and strengthen the implementation of commitments, allowing BRICS cooperation to move beyond declarations towards measurable and sustained results.
BRICS 2026 — Full Members
- India — Prime Minister Narendra Modi — Host/Chair
- Brazil — Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira — representing Brazil
- Russia — President Vladimir Putin
- China — President Xi Jinping
- South Africa — President Cyril Ramaphosa
- Egypt — President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
- Ethiopia — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali
- Iran — President Masoud Pezeshkian
- United Arab Emirates — Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
- Indonesia — President Prabowo Subianto
- Saudi Arabia — represented at ministerial level by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
Prabowo Subianto President Indonesia in BRICS 2026 New Delhi . Other important invited participants today
India has also invited a wider group of partner/outreach countries and international organisations. Among those arriving/participating are:
- Vietnam — Prime Minister Le Minh Hung
- Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
- Malaysia — Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
- Burundi — President Évariste Ndayishimiye
- Thailand — Deputy PM & Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow
- Uganda — Vice President Jessica Alupo
- Nigeria — Vice President Kashim Shettima
- Cuba — Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla
- Belarus — Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov
- Kazakhstan — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
- Bahrain — Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani
- Uzbekistan — Deputy PM Djamshid Kuchkarov
- Saudi Arabia — Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud
- United Nations — Secretary-General António Guterres
- WTO — Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
- WHO — Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
- New Development Bank — President Dilma Rousseff
- AIIB — President Zou Jiayi.