India Hosts BRICS Summit Amid Deep Geopolitical Rifts

India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026, marking its fourth time as host. The summit comes at a critical juncture for the expanded grouping, which now includes 11 members after recent inductions. India's next hosting opportunity will only arise after a decade, making this a high-stakes event for New Delhi, which has invested significant diplomatic capital in ensuring its success.

The summit is taking place against a backdrop of unprecedented internal challenges. For the first time since the grouping's inception in 2009, BRICS members find themselves on opposing sides of a major conflict. The ongoing US-Iran conflict involves three BRICS members—Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—on opposing sides, making consensus-building particularly difficult. This was evident in May 2026 when BRICS foreign ministers failed to issue a joint declaration due to divergent geopolitical alignments.

The grouping has undergone significant transformation since its original five-member format. Following expansions in 2024 and 2025, BRICS now represents 49% of the global population, 40% of global oil output, and 40% of global GDP in purchasing power parity terms. The addition of new members has enhanced the grouping's economic leverage, particularly in critical minerals and rare earths, but has also complicated its decision-making processes.

Under India's chairship, which focuses on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability, over 350 meetings have been organized. These include 22 ministerial meetings and eight head-of-agency meetings, producing consensus documents on various functional and socio-economic tracks. Key outcomes include the establishment of BRICS Centers of Excellence on Agro-Ecology, a Startup Innovation Fund, and cooperation frameworks on smart grids and energy storage.

The primary challenge remains crafting acceptable language on the US-Iran conflict that satisfies all member states. India has experience in navigating such diplomatic hurdles, having secured a consensus declaration at the G20 Summit in 2023 despite widespread skepticism. New Delhi maintains strong relations with most BRICS members, including Brazil, South Africa, and Indonesia, which could facilitate consensus-building. The outcome of this summit will significantly impact the grouping's credibility and future evolution.