BRICS Summit Adopts New Delhi Declaration After India's Overnight Diplomatic Push Succeeds
New Delhi hosted the 18th BRICS Summit on 12 September 2026, with India's chairmanship producing a unanimously adopted declaration after overnight negotiations among eleven full member states. The summit tested India's doctrine of strategic autonomy as Prime Minister Narendra Modi facilitated high-stakes bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping — on his first visit to India in seven years — and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
🗳️ Shashi Tharoor: BRICS Summit Tests India's Strategic Autonomy at a Critical Global Moment
Writing for NDTV, Member of Parliament and columnist Shashi Tharoor characterised the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi as taking place at a critical juncture for global geopolitics, arriving two decades after the original grouping was founded. The expanded alliance now encompasses eleven full member states including the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia — a country Tharoor describes as half-in and half-out of the bloc. India's chairmanship placed Prime Minister Modi at the centre of high-profile bilateral engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose visit marked his first trip to India in seven years. Tharoor argued that hosting the summit tested India's core foreign policy tenet of strategic autonomy — its capacity to maintain membership in Western-leaning groupings such as the Quad and I2U2 while simultaneously steering major Global South alliances including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The Modi-Xi bilateral was particularly notable, aimed at stabilising the Line of Actual Control and normalising trade and investment ties after years of border friction. Talks with Russia centred on energy partnerships, military-technical cooperation, and trade in a shifting global economic landscape. Tharoor noted that BRICS Foreign Ministers had failed to agree on a joint statement at their preparatory meeting in May 2026, making the unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration a meaningful achievement of Indian diplomacy under challenging conditions. [4]
🗳️ BRICS New Delhi Declaration Calls for UNSC Reform and Condemns Terrorism and Trade Tariffs
The 2026 BRICS New Delhi Declaration, adopted unanimously on 12 September at the conclusion of the 18th summit, contains landmark positions on global governance, international conflict, and trade. The declaration called for meaningful reform of multilateral institutions, specifically demanding a structural update of the United Nations Security Council — a long-standing priority for India, Brazil, and South Africa, all of which seek permanent UNSC membership and have advocated for a more representative council structure. The declaration included a strong condemnation of terrorism and addressed the economic pressures facing member states, with reports highlighting a push among bloc members for de-dollarisation measures that would reduce dependence on the US dollar in international trade and financial settlement. The declaration's language on war drew attention as the expanded BRICS membership brings together states with sharply differing positions on ongoing armed conflicts, including Russia's war in Ukraine and the escalating conflict in West Asia. Leaders present at the summit included Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian alongside other member-state heads of government. The adoption of a unified text was a significant diplomatic outcome given that the BRICS Foreign Ministers had been unable to produce a joint communique at their May preparatory meeting. NDTV's reporting described the New Delhi Declaration as evidence of India's capacity to bridge divergent positions among BRICS member states during its chairmanship year. [8]