India will assume the BRICS chairmanship from Brazil on January 1, 2026, marking the first time the founding member will lead the group in its expanded 10-nation format. The country’s priorities will focus on strengthening resilience and fostering innovation for cooperation and development.
India Takes the Helm of Expanded BRICS
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the key priorities for India’s chairmanship at the BRICS 2025 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in July, stating the goal is to redefine BRICS as “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability.” His remarks were published on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
“Under India’s BRICS chairmanship next year, we will continue to work closely on all key issues. Our goal will be to redefine BRICS as Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability. Just as we brought inclusivity to our G‑20 Presidency and placed the concerns of the Global South at the forefront of the agenda, similarly, during our Presidency of BRICS, we will advance this forum with a people-centric approach and the spirit of ‘Humanity First'”
Narendra Modi
Indian Prime Minister
Experts believe India is inheriting a strong foundation from Brazil. Professor Daniel Barreiros of the Institute of Economics of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro noted that India has “received a strategically orientated partnership with established mechanisms and a renewed purpose.” He also highlighted India’s technological vision as a distinctive feature of its approach.
Barreiros explained in an exclusive comment to TV BRICS that the work will be structured around four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and environmental stability. A key initiative will be promoting digital public infrastructure as a scalable development model for the Global South, drawing on India’s own successes. The aim is to offer an open-architecture model adaptable to individual country needs, positioning India as a technological leader for the Global South. Consolidation of the expanded BRICS format through cooperation in areas like AI governance and digital trade will also be a priority.
Reform of global governance remains a central focus for the group. BRICS foreign ministers, in a joint communiqué, called for reform of the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), emphasizing the need for “greater and more meaningful representation of developing countries.”
Brazil formally handed over the BRICS chairmanship to India during a meeting of the group’s sherpas. The transfer involved a gavel crafted from recycled Amazonian wood, symbolizing Brazil’s environmental agenda and continuity within the BRICS partnership.
India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026.
Photo: EyeEm Mobile GmbH / iStock
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