Can a fractured BRICS find common ground in the shadow of global conflict?

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi brought together an expanded coalition of members and partners to navigate a volatile geopolitical landscape. Despite deep internal divisions regarding the 2026 Middle East war and trade tensions, the group managed to unanimously adopt a consensus document, the 140-paragraph New Delhi Declaration.

Held at the Bharat Mandapam in September 2026, the summit marked the culmination of India's year-long presidency. Under the theme of resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability, the event aimed to strengthen institutional effectiveness and advance the interests of the Global South. The agenda was ambitious, covering everything from global governance reform and international conflicts to energy security and digital infrastructure. Notably, the summit occurred against a backdrop of significant global instability, including the war in Ukraine and the 2026 conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

The summit's most significant achievement was the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, a consensus document that reaffirmed the group's pillars of political, economic, and cultural cooperation. Achieving this unanimity was considered a major diplomatic hurdle, particularly given the divergent positions of members like Iran and the United Arab Emirates. While the declaration addressed various international crises, observers noted a conspicuous silence regarding the war in Ukraine, a departure from previous BRICS statements in Kazan and Rio de Janeiro. The document did, however, condemn the 2025 Pahalgam attack and reiterate a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism.

Beyond geopolitics, the summit focused on practical economic and technological integration. Leaders discussed the interoperability of national payment systems and the expansion of local-currency financing, though they stopped short of creating a common BRICS currency. India also showcased its deep-tech ecosystem through the Bharat Innovates exposition, highlighting 37 startups. Bilateral meetings, such as the high-stakes discussion between Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping—the Chinese leader's first visit to India in seven years—suggested a cautious effort to stabilize regional relations. Ultimately, the summit demonstrated the group's ability to maintain a unified diplomatic front, even as the internal complexities of its expanded membership continue to evolve.

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