India Takes Low-Key Approach to BRICS Summit

Source: The Hindu Business Line | Original Published At: 2026-09-09 02:42:50 UTC

Key Points

• India is set to host the BRICS Leaders' Summit on September 12-13 with relatively subdued preparations compared with its 2023 G20 summit.
• Indian government officials have rarely mentioned the summit, and the Ministry of External Affairs published 11 BRICS-tagged press releases between March 1 and September 8, compared with 149 before the G20 summit.
• The low-key approach is linked to strained India-US relations and US criticism of BRICS, while the United States remains India's largest export market.
• Since assuming the rotating BRICS presidency on January 1, India has organized 350 lower-level meetings, including foreign ministers, national security advisers, and business leaders.
• Analysts say geopolitical tensions, the war in the Middle East, border disputes with China, and China's dominant role in BRICS have contributed to the subdued tone.
• India's BRICS presidency theme is building for resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, with publicity focused on technical meetings in energy, trade, technology, and youth.