Global South leaders will gather in India as they seek greater financial independence.

On Sept. 12 and 13, New Delhi will host the summit of the BRICS, the economic cooperation group initially made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

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During those days, the main avenues of India’s capital will witness the passage of imposing convoys carrying Global South leaders to the Bharat Mandapam complex.

The BRICS summit will include forums, business sessions and bilateral meetings. In recent years, this group has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.

This expansion has increased the BRICS’ economic and diplomatic weight, which now represents half of the world’s population and 40% of its GDP. The expansion, however, has also made it more difficult to adopt unanimous positions.

11 NATIONS. HALF OF HUMANITY. ONE ROOF.

This weekend, leaders of 11 countries will be under one roof in New Delhi

49.5% of the world’s population
~40% of global GDP
~26% of global trade

From India, China and Russia to Brazil, Iran, UAE, Egypt and Indonesia – nearly half… pic.twitter.com/kCybtqkprX

— Radio India (@Radio_India_) September 10, 2026

Chinese Foreign Ministry Confirms Xi’s Participation

On Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi.

This will be his first trip to India since the two nations began a process in 2024 to normalize their bilateral relations. The rapprochement has allowed the resumption of visa issuance, trade in border areas and direct flights between the world’s two most populous countries.

Putin Will Travel to New Delhi

On Thursday, Kremlin adviser for international affairs Yuri Ushakov said Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to the BRICS summit, where he will hold a preliminary meeting Friday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

They will later visit the Innoprom trade fair, “where the achievements of Russian and Indian companies in various fields will be presented. This is a truly important event, which will undoubtedly give new impetus to trade and economic interaction between the two countries,” Ushakov said.

Putin will also hold talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa; Egyptian President Abdulfatah Sisi; Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali; Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed Nahyan; and Dilma Rousseff, president of the BRICS New Development Bank.

The Kremlin announces that the Russian President will travel to India to participate in the BRICS Summit and hold key bilateral meetings on the sidelines, in a move that underscores the failure of Western attempts to isolate his country and further consolidates the strength of… pic.twitter.com/2fDeJoLxoA

— RussiaNews (@mog_russEN) September 10, 2026

A Consensus on the Middle East

Reaching a common position on the U.S. war on Iran is one of the biggest diplomatic test the BRICS will face during the New Delhi summit.

In May, tensions between Iran and United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are on opposite sides of the conflict, prevented BRICS foreign ministers from reaching a joint statement on the U.S. war on the Persian nation.

Now, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will meet face to face in the halls of the Bharat Mandapam convention center.

This is the first BRICS leaders’ summit since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February, triggering a regional conflict that remains active and has caused chaos in global energy markets because of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz.

Lula da Silva Will Not Attend

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be the only leader absent from the gathering in the Indian capital, leaving the representation of his country to Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.

Currently, Lula is in the midst of an electoral campaign to secure a fourth nonconsecutive presidential term in elections scheduled for Oct. 4.

In August, the president’s coalition said in its electoral platform that it would seek to deepen “geopolitical rapprochement” with BRICS and the Global South.

China Gives Its Backing to India’s BRICS Summit Hosting

Beijing attaches “great importance” to BRICS cooperation and supports India’s efforts to successfully host this year’s leaders’ summit, ’s FM spox Mao Ning said.

President Xi is expected to attend – it would mark his… pic.twitter.com/sza2VfGDxp

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 8, 2026

An Independent Financial Architecture

Amid the global trade instability unleashed by U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as sanctions imposed on countries such as Russia and Iran, BRICS members are seeking to strengthen an independent financial architecture that would allow them, without completely abandoning the dollar, to make cross-border payments using local currencies.

“Ninety percent of Russia’s payments with BRICS countries are made in national currencies,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday during a news conference about the New Delhi summit.

India is expected to promote the interconnection of the Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) of member countries to settle trade transactions directly.

India Hopes to Emerge Stronger From the Summit

As the pro tempore chair of BRICS, India is seeking a successful summit to position itself as one of the main leaders of the Global South at a time when its rival Pakistan has gained prominence for its role as a mediator between the United States and Iran.

So far, India’s authorities have confirmed that Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Pezeshkian and Putin.

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Source: EFE

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