BRICS Summit 2026: PM Modi welcomes world leaders at Bharat Mandapam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and other world leaders to Bharat Mandapam for the 18th BRICS Summit, hosted by India in New Delhi on September 12-13.

PM Modi Welcomes World Leaders for BRICS Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the BRICS Summit 2026 under the chairship of India.

Earlier, PM Modi welcomed Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira, Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

PM Modi, on his arrival, was accompanied by EAM S Jaishankar to the venue.

World leaders representing the BRICS nations at the summit will hold a closed session on "Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism" at the Summit Hall. The leaders will also witness the Bharat Innovates Exhibition.

India's Chairship and a New Era for BRICS

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. India's Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus.

BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The grouping currently comprises 11 countries -- Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

India's BRICS Chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures.

The expanded grouping provides a platform for cooperation on development, climate action, technology, energy and financial resilience, while also contributing to discussions on reforms in global institutions.

For India, the 2026 Chairship is focused on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, while building consensus among its diverse members and strengthening the effectiveness of existing mechanisms.

Bilateral Meetings on Summit Sidelines

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of bilateral meetings.

Talks with Ethiopia

With his Ethiopian counterpart, he discussed defence, investment linkages, critical minerals and clean energy with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, stating that the two nations are taking an “old friendship into new frontiers.”

“India and Ethiopia are taking an old friendship into new frontiers! Delighted to welcome PM Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali on his first visit to India. Today’s talks covered: Defence. Capacity building. Investment linkages. Critical minerals. Clean energy. Healthcare. Together, we will also strengthen India-Africa ties and amplify the voice of the Global South,” PM Modi posted on X.

Meeting with Malaysia

Following his meeting with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, PM Modi hailed the growing defence partnership and expanding two-way investments between the two nations. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)