Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proposed the idea of a BRICS Development Bank during India’s 2012 summit hosting, which later contributed to the establishment of the New Development Bank.
Iranian BRICS Women Business Alliance delegation says it seeks support from India and BRICS partners to build a framework for women-led companies and start-ups.
BRICS has expanded to 11 full members, and India will chair the grouping in 2026 and host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
China’s foreign ministry said it had no information to provide about President Xi Jinping’s anticipated visit to India for the summit.
A panel of geopolitical experts examined the diplomatic, strategic, and economic dynamics of the expanded BRICS grouping amid conflicts in West Asia and Eastern Europe.
At India Today’s BRICS Roundtable, South African High Commissioner Anil Sooklal said the bloc should be judged by what it delivers and highlighted BRICS’ role in global governance reform and financial transformation.
A GTRI report says India’s trade deficit with BRICS widened to $226.1 billion in FY2026 as imports from the bloc outpaced exports, while intra-BRICS trade remains heavily China-centred.
The BRICS Summit in New Delhi will rely on formal sessions and informal diplomatic formats, including bilaterals, pull-asides and corridor conversations, as India manages an expanded 11-member grouping.
India is preparing for the 18th BRICS Summit under its fourth chairship, with dignitaries from Ethiopia and Burundi arriving in New Delhi as the bloc focuses on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.
