BRICS 2026: New Delhi summit to focus on trade, tech and energy

India's BRICS presidency will host the 2026 summit in New Delhi, with an agenda spanning trade, technology, energy and climate finance. The expanded 11-member grouping aims to translate its growing economic and geopolitical influence into concrete cooperation.

Key focus areas include cross-border payments systems, startups, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and climate finance. However, India faces a significant challenge: building consensus among members whose strategic interests often diverge, testing the grouping's ability to move from expansion to effective multilateral action.