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India to host 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September 2026, marking its fourth chairmanship

Distilled Policy Brief

  • India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026, marking its fourth chairmanship under the theme: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development'.
  • BRICS currently comprises 11 member countries—Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and UAE—representing 49.5% of the world's population, 40% of global GDP, and 26% of global trade.
  • First conceptualized as an economic acronym in 2001 by Goldman Sachs and established politically in 2006, BRICS expanded with South Africa in 2011 and further enlarged to amplify the Global South's voice in global governance reform.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026 in New Delhi under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development'.

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Examine how BRICS expansion reflects the shifting balance of power toward the Global South and evaluate India's strategic role in balancing diverse interests within the grouping.

🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill

International Relations

With reference to the BRICS grouping, consider the following statements: 1. The economic acronym 'BRIC' was originally conceptualized in 2001 in a research paper by Goldman Sachs. 2. India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026, marking its fourth chairmanship of the grouping. 3. The expanded 11-member BRICS accounts for nearly 40% of global trade and 26% of global GDP. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  • [A] 1 and 2 only
  • [B] 2 and 3 only
  • [C] 1 and 3 only
  • [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
✓ Correct Option: [A] 1 and 2 only

Statements 1 and 2 are correct: The acronym 'BRIC' was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs, and India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026 under its fourth chairmanship. Statement 3 is incorrect because the 11-member grouping represents 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade, not vice versa.

Tark High-Yield Question Bank ⚡ Practice Full Test in Testing Arena ↗

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.

📚 Static Syllabus & Constitutional Linkages

Bretton Woods Institutions Reform: The demand for structural rebalancing in the IMF (quota distribution) and World Bank to grant proportional voting power to emerging market economies (EMEs).
Multipolarity & Strategic Autonomy: India's foreign policy doctrine of engaging multiple power centers to pursue national interest while safeguarding economic and security sovereignty.