BRICS leaders meet in India, where wars and US tensions are testing the bloc

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira at the BRICS Business Forum 2026 Leaders’ Meeting in New Delhi on September 11 | Photo credit: ANI

BRICS leaders met in New Delhi on Saturday (12 September 2026) for a summit focusing on trade, investment and global conflicts, as the bloc seeks a greater role in shaping the global agenda for emerging and developing countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and counterparts from other eight BRICS members. The summit comes as wars in Ukraine and West Asia, along with rising tensions between the US and China, are testing the bloc’s ability to find common ground among countries with competing geopolitical interests.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed around the summit venue and other parts of New Delhi with traffic restrictions and diversions in place.

BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, and South Africa joined in 2010. It has since expanded to 11 members, representing roughly half of the world’s population and a significant share of global economic output. The group is increasingly calling for greater representation of developing countries in global institutions.

The leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation, energy, food security, technology, supply chains and reforms of global institutions. Reducing reliance on the US dollar will also be a priority, with members promoting greater use of their own currencies in trade and payments and promoting alternatives to Western-dominated financial institutions.

As for India, the summit highlights its efforts to maintain strategic ties with Russia and Iran while deepening ties with the US and Europe. New Delhi has sought to balance its longstanding partnerships with Moscow and Tehran with efforts to expand economic, defense and technological ties with Washington and other Western countries.

India maintains close ties with both Moscow and Tehran despite the war in Ukraine and tensions between Iran and the US, calling for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts. Mr Modi met Mr Putin and Mr Pezeshkian separately in New Delhi on Friday (September 11, 2026) ahead of the summit.

The summit comes as Iran, a member of the enlarged BRICS group, is directly involved in a war in West Asia, putting the bloc’s unity under pressure as its members navigate different positions on the conflict and relations with the US.

A key test for India will be whether it can secure a joint statement from the leaders at the summit. These differences were evident in May when BRICS foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement on the Iran war, forcing India to issue a summary instead.

Published – 12 Sep 2026 11:25 AM IST