Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi as the 18th BRICS Summit began under India’s chairship. He was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan also arrived at the venue for the summit.
The BRICS leaders will hold a closed-door session on “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism” at the Summit Hall. They will also witness the Bharat Innovates Exhibition.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation among the key areas of focus.
BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
The grouping currently comprises 11 countries — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.
India’s BRICS chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures. The expanded grouping provides a platform for cooperation in areas including development, climate action, technology, energy and financial resilience, while contributing to discussions on reforms in global institutions.
For India, the 2026 chairship is focused on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, building consensus among its diverse members and strengthening existing mechanisms.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi held a series of bilateral meetings with leaders attending the summit.
During a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, PM Modi discussed defence, capacity building, investment linkages, critical minerals, clean energy and healthcare. He described the ties between the two countries as an “old friendship” being taken into “new frontiers”.
“India and Ethiopia are taking an old friendship into new frontiers! Delighted to welcome PM Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali on his first visit to India. Today’s talks covered: Defence. Capacity building. Investment linkages. Critical minerals. Clean energy. Healthcare. Together, we will also strengthen India-Africa ties and amplify the voice of the Global South,” Modi said in a post on X.
Following his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, PM Modi highlighted the growing defence partnership and expanding two-way investments between India and Malaysia.
(ANI Inputs)
