Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin likely to be in Delhi for BRICS meet

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13, 2026, in New Delhi, as BRICS Chair for 2026. Russian President Vladimir Putin is confirmed to atte...

What Happened

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13, 2026, in New Delhi, as BRICS Chair for 2026.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is confirmed to attend, as announced by a Kremlin aide, marking his second visit to India within a year.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to attend; a bilateral meeting between Putin and Xi is anticipated on the summit's sidelines.
India's BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
The summit is expected to address trade, defence cooperation, geopolitical issues, counter-terrorism, multilateralism, and sustainable development.

Static Topic Bridges

BRICS: Formation, History, and Membership

The BRICS acronym was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill to describe large emerging economies with significant growth potential. The BRIC grouping (Brazil, Russia, India, China) held its first formal summit in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa joined in 2011, expanding the group to BRICS. At the 2023 Johannesburg Summit, six new countries were invited to join — Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Argentina. Argentina subsequently declined; Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and UAE joined as full members from January 2024. Indonesia became a full member on January 6, 2025, bringing the total to ten full members.

Original BRIC summit: June 2009, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
South Africa joined: 2011.
2024 expansion: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE (Argentina declined).
Indonesia joined: January 6, 2025.
Current full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia (10 members).
BRICS nations together account for more than a quarter of global GDP and nearly half the world's population.

Connection to this news: India is chairing BRICS for the fourth time (previously 2012, 2016, 2021), and the Delhi Summit will be the first under the expanded 10-member format hosted by India.

India's BRICS Chairship 2026

India assumed the BRICS Chairship in January 2026 under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" — with the acronym mirroring BRICS. Key agenda priorities include economic resilience and supply chain restructuring, digital public infrastructure and AI cooperation, climate action and green finance, multilateral reform including reform of international financial institutions, and MSME cooperation under the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR).

India holds the Chairship for the fourth time (2012, 2016, 2021, 2026).
18th BRICS Summit: September 12–13, 2026, New Delhi.
Theme acronym aligns with "BRICS": Building, Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, Sustainability.
First India-hosted summit under the expanded 10-member BRICS.

Connection to this news: The confirmed attendance of Putin and expected attendance of Xi Jinping at the Delhi summit underlines the geopolitical significance of the gathering and India's role as a bridge power between competing global blocs.

BRICS and the Emerging Multipolar Order

BRICS has increasingly positioned itself as a platform for reforming global governance institutions perceived as dominated by Western powers — including the IMF, World Bank, and the UN Security Council. The New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS in 2015 with headquarters in Shanghai, provides development financing as an alternative to Bretton Woods institutions. BRICS discussions on alternatives to the SWIFT payment system and a potential BRICS currency (or basket) reflect the bloc's push for reduced dollar dependence.

New Development Bank (NDB) established: 2015; HQ: Shanghai; initial authorised capital: $100 billion.
Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA): $100 billion pool to provide liquidity support to members.
BRICS nations include three permanent UN Security Council members (Russia, China, India is a non-permanent member currently seeking permanent membership).
The 2024 Kazan Summit (Russia) introduced a new "BRICS Partner Countries" category.

Connection to this news: The Delhi Summit with representation from Russia, China, and other BRICS members signals India's aspiration to shape a multipolar world order through multilateral engagement rather than purely bilateral alignments.

Key Facts & Data

18th BRICS Summit: September 12–13, 2026, New Delhi.
India chairs BRICS for the fourth time (previous: 2012, 2016, 2021).
2026 theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
BRICS membership: 10 full members as of January 2025.
First BRIC summit: June 2009, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
South Africa joined: 2011.
New Development Bank established: 2015; HQ: Shanghai; capital: $100 billion.
BRICS nations: over 25% of global GDP; nearly 50% of world population.
Putin's attendance: confirmed by Kremlin aide; will be his second India visit within a year.