BRICS 2026: India’s Deft Diplomatic Handling

Source: Daily Excelsior | Original Published At: 2026-09-15 22:30:19 UTC

Key Points

• India converted its convening role at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi into diplomatic leverage by hosting major developing powers amid strained global geopolitics.
• The New Delhi Declaration condemned attacks on civilians, opposed unilateral sanctions, supported Palestinian statehood, and called for UN reform while avoiding direct naming of individual countries.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping helped maintain communication channels and reduce the risk of bilateral tensions contaminating the BRICS forum.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a symbolic meeting, highlighting India’s role as a bridge-builder.
• Bilateral engagements with leaders from South Africa, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, and other partners emphasized trade, energy, critical minerals, investment, and connectivity.
• The summit reinforced BRICS calls for broader UN representation, including greater participation by developing countries and attention to the absence of women in the UN Secretary-General role.
• The article concludes that India’s main gain was agenda-setting and cumulative diplomatic positioning, not resolution of major conflicts or full consensus on the hardest geopolitical issues.