India Today is hosting a global "BRICS Roundtable" program to decode and analyse the upcoming 18th BRICS Summit, which India is officially hosting in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026

 India Today is hosting a global "BRICS Roundtable" program to decode and analyse the upcoming 18th BRICS Summit, which India is officially hosting in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026. [1, 2, 3]

As India chairs the newly expanded 11-member bloc, the India Today broadcast brings together leading international voices to discuss how the Global South is shaping the global order and exploring trade in national currencies. [1]

---

🗓️ Summit Schedule & Venue

• Host Venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• Pre-Summit Event (Sept 11): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the BRICS Business Forum, attended by corporate heads from Russia, China, Brazil, and the UAE.
• Main Summit (Sept 12–13): The two-day leadership summit focusing on multilateral reforms and core strategic issues. [1, 2, 3, 4]

---

🎯 Key Agenda & Theme

The official theme driven by India's chairship is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The core discussions on the program highlight: [1]

• Geopolitical Divides: Navigating West Asian tensions (specifically involving member states like Iran and the UAE) to secure a unified declaration. [1, 2]
• Economic Strategy: Strengthening critical supply chains, food and energy security, and trading alternatives to the US dollar using national currencies. [1, 2]
• Multilateral Reform: Demanding structural changes to make the United Nations, IMF, and World Bank more representative of the Global South. [1, 2]

---

👥 Expected High-Profile Attendees

The news program highlights critical bilateral engagements taking place on the sidelines of the mega meet: [1, 2]

• Bilateral Meetings: PM Narendra Modi is scheduled for high-stakes talks, including a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (their first formal bilateral since the 2020 Galwan clash) and a Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. [1, 2]
• New Members & Invitees: Leaders and delegates from new members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, and Indonesia) along with outreach country heads from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres