BRICS Summit 2026: PM Modi Highlights Milestones and Future Goals
Inauguration of the 18th BRICS Summit
PM Modi during his BRICS Summit address on Saturday (Photo: PM MODI/Youtube)
New Delhi, Sept 12: The 18th BRICS Summit commenced in New Delhi on Saturday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasizing that the organization has reached a significant milestone as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
During the opening session themed ‘Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism’ at Bharat Mandapam, Modi expressed that India's leadership of BRICS has been driven by a focus on people and a ‘Humanity First’ philosophy.
He highlighted that resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability were central to India's agenda during its BRICS chairmanship, with a strong focus on making BRICS initiatives accessible to the general populace.
Modi noted that over 350 meetings were held throughout India's chairmanship, with delegations welcomed in approximately 30 cities.
Describing the summit as a pivotal moment for BRICS, he stated that the group has carved out a unique identity on the global stage over the last two decades.
“Today, BRICS has reached its ‘coming of age’ moment,” Modi remarked, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and consensus among member nations.
He reiterated that BRICS is not positioned against any entity and should continue to foster an inclusive approach.
Modi proposed the creation of a ‘BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism’ to ensure that initiatives are effectively pursued despite the annual rotation of the presidency.
“It is time to convert our unity and consensus within BRICS into concrete results on the global stage,” he urged, calling for a collaborative effort towards a new agenda for the next two decades.
He also advocated for reforms in global governance, pointing out that the Global South is disproportionately affected by global crises while being underrepresented in decision-making.
“The Global South is at the forefront of global challenges but remains sidelined in decision-making,” he stated.
Modi suggested that BRICS nations work together to develop ten proposals for global governance reform, aiming to establish a roadmap for reform by the next summit.
Earlier, Modi welcomed various leaders at the summit venue, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
India, which took over its fourth BRICS chairmanship on January 1, is hosting this two-day summit under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The leaders are anticipated to discuss enhancing intra-BRICS cooperation on shared priorities and share insights on significant global and regional issues. The agenda also includes a visit to the Bharat Innovates Exhibition, a group photograph, a tree planting ceremony, and a dinner hosted by Modi.
This summit marks two decades of BRICS, with India having previously chaired the group in 2012, 2016, and 2021.