BRICS Summit Opens in Delhi; Xi Jinping Visits India Amid Bloc's Internal Differences

Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting India for the first time since 2019 – for the BRICS summit. Can the alliance achieve a common policy despite its differences?

September 11, 2026 | 1:26 PM

From Delhi By Natalie Mayroth

India's capital, Delhi, has been turned into a fortress, as heads of state and government from the so-called BRICS nations are expected to arrive this weekend.

"Not Western, but not anti-Western," describes Indian China expert Srikanth Kondapalli the alliance. His words aptly summarize the contradiction. China and Russia want to curb the influence of Western-dominated institutions. India insists on strategic autonomy and seeks closer ties with the West. At the same time, emerging economies depend on growth and exports to the US and Europe.

How these differing interests can be reconciled will now become apparent at the 18th summit meeting. India's Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting India for the first time in seven years. Also expected are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Among the few women on the guest list is Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo. Uganda is a BRICS partner, but not a member.

A Changing Alliance

Since its beginnings 20 years ago, BRICS has changed significantly. The informal group of Brazil, Russia, India, and China has evolved into an alliance with eleven members, the New Development Bank (NDB), and ten partner states.

The BRICS countries account for nearly half of the world's population and, according to the Indian presidency, around one-quarter of global trade. India and China also view the alliance as a platform to gain more influence for themselves and for the Global South.

Key Topics on the Agenda

Discussions in Delhi will focus on:

• Trade and investment
• Technology
• Energy and food security
• More resilient supply chains

Plans include a startup network or an innovation fund. Trading less in US dollars apparently is also up for debate.

"The short-term goal is to advance settlement in local currencies," said Tianjiao Jiang from Fudan University to taz.

Despite strong growth, trade within the BRICS countries still accounts for only about 5 percent of global trade, says Kim Catechis of the Franklin Templeton Institute. This shows "considerable untapped potential."

China-India Relations

For Xi, it is about the relationship with the host country. The cautious rapprochement between India and China began at the 2024 BRICS summit. Back then, Xi and Modi met formally for the first time in five years. Since then, dialogue channels have been revived, direct flights and tourist visas resumed, and investment restrictions eased.

However, full normalization cannot yet be spoken of, says Kondapalli. After the deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in 2020, India severely restricted Chinese investments. Comprehensive military de-escalation remains pending. India's trade deficit with China and mutual market access are also likely to play a role in the talks.

Xi's participation is simultaneously a signal to expand BRICS as an international platform, says Jiang. China will assume the chairmanship in 2027. Despite conflicts, it is "essential" for China, India, and Russia to position themselves ahead of a larger geopolitical shift.