The changing world “cannot be steered by outdated institutions,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration at the annual summit in New Delhi.
The two-day gathering, which runs September 12-13, has brought together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, with bilateral meetings also taking place on the sidelines.
“Reforms are essential in representation, responsiveness and rule-making,” Modi said, calling for a greater role for the Global South in international decision-making.
The declaration backs reform of the UN and global financial institutions to give developing countries greater representation, and condemns unilateral sanctions that violate international law.
Earlier on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin described BRICS as an emerging center of global governance, saying global politics, security and the economy increasingly depend on the group’s joint decisions.
RT reporters are on the ground in New Delhi covering the 18th BRICS Summit, which runs through Sunday.
Follow the latest developments from New Delhi below.
12 September 2026
The New Delhi Declaration provides a “clear direction” for the group and must now be translated into concrete results, Modi said in his closing remarks at the summit.
“Alongside the diversity of our views, our shared commitment to BRICS cooperation has also clearly emerged,” Modi said, arguing that the discussions showed a changing world “cannot be steered by outdated institutions.”
He called for reforms in global representation, responsiveness and rule-making, as well as equal participation for the Global South in developing future technologies and the rules governing them.
BRICS leaders have adopted the New Delhi Declaration, setting out the expanded bloc’s common position on global governance, trade, finance and major international conflicts.
The document calls for a “more representative, fairer international order” and greater Global South influence in global decision-making, including comprehensive UN reform and greater developing-country representation on the Security Council. China and Russia also reiterated support for Brazil and India playing a greater role at the UN.
On the economic front, BRICS voiced “serious concerns” over tariffs and other trade restrictions and condemned unilateral and secondary sanctions not authorized by the UNSC. Members also backed further work on faster, cheaper cross-border payments and greater use of national currencies in trade and investment.
On global conflicts, the declaration emphasizes diplomacy and peaceful settlement of disputes, backs a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, opposes the forced displacement of Palestinians and condemns attacks on civilians and obstruction of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The bloc also backed an expanded role for the New Development Bank, including more local-currency financing, while pledging deeper cooperation on AI, digital infrastructure, trade and investment.
Modi has spent half a minute straight shaking hands with Xi Jinping while thanking him for attending the BRICS Summit in New Delhi in person, offering a notably warm welcome to the Chinese leader.
The gesture comes against the backdrop of a historically difficult relationship between the two Asian neighbors, marked by a long-running border dispute and years of tensions following deadly clashes in 2020.
India and China have moved to stabilize ties in recent years, with Modi and Xi holding a series of meetings and both sides seeking to rebuild political and economic engagement.
The leaders also joined hands at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion as they posed for a group photo at the summit in New Delhi.
With smiles, clasped hands and arms held high, the bloc put its unity on full display.
BRICS leaders have traded briefing folders for shovels and watering cans in New Delhi, planting banyan trees on the sidelines of the summit.
The banyan is widely associated with longevity, wisdom and strength – a fitting bit of symbolism for a group marking 20 years since its creation.
India has given Friday’s meeting between Putin and Modi a distinctly Russian soundtrack.
Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, India’s minister of state for heavy industries and steel, shared footage of the two leaders’ talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit set to ‘Matushka-Zemlya’ (Mother Earth) – a patriotic song that has become widely popular in Russia in recent years.
A little musical diplomacy, New Delhi style.
The BRICS Summit has demonstrated the bloc’s potential to deepen cooperation and help reshape global governance, Putin said.
“The summit confirms that we have great potential to work together, to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, to make global governance more effective, and to ensure true multilateral cooperation and equity in global affairs,” he told fellow leaders in New Delhi.
Putin said reforming the IMF, World Bank, and WTO will not be enough to keep pace with the changing global economy.
He noted that emerging fields such as fintech, digital commerce, and the platform economy require new mechanisms.
“There are breakthrough areas… which require separate institutions, rules, and regulations,” he said, adding that BRICS countries have already begun work in this direction.
Global financial institutions must be overhauled to reflect the shift in economic activity toward emerging markets, Putin said.
He noted that the IMF, World Bank, and World Trade Organization were created under “different political and economic realities” and are struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing world. Nevertheless, he called for stronger BRICS cooperation with them as important platforms for “dialogue between the leading economies of the world.”
The unipolar system of international relations is fading as global influence shifts toward new centers of growth, Putin stated.
He accused countries with a “colonial mindset” of resisting the shift through sanctions, tariff wars, “blackmail,” interference in domestic affairs and “blunt force.”
He called for strengthening the UN’s central role, arguing that its charter remains the “key source of international law” despite attempts by some states to replace it with a “rules-based world order.”
“No one knows what these rules are,” Putin said, also backing an expansion of the UN Security Council to include greater representation for African, Latin American and Asian nations.
BRICS is emerging as a key center of global governance because it is built on equality and respect for its members, Russian President Vladimir Putin has told the summit in New Delhi.
“We are based on respect for the traditions, values and history of each other. That’s why our authority is growing,” Putin said, highlighting the bloc’s “huge intellectual and technological potential.”
“It is on our joint actions and decisions that global politics and security, the global economy and humanitarian cooperation depend,” he added.
BRICS has an opportunity to use its growing economic and political clout to help resolve global crises where Western-led approaches have failed, South African researcher Mikatekiso Kubayi has told RT.
“The world is watching,” he said, pointing to the Ukraine conflict and tensions in West Asia. Kubayi said closer coordination between BRICS members would allow the bloc to “flex its potential” on the global stage.
BRICS should use its collective weight to push back against US and Israeli actions in the Strait of Hormuz, Indian academic Anuradha Chenoy told RT.
“Who stopped the freedom of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz? The Americans and the Israelis,” she said, arguing that disruption of the key energy route has particularly hurt India and China. Chenoy said Russia has provided both countries with an important alternative source of energy.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for global oil and gas supplies and has become a major flashpoint in the US-Israeli war against Iran. Tehran has accused Washington and West Jerusalem of threatening commercial shipping and destabilizing energy flows through the region.
Russia’s relations with Europe have been reduced “nearly to zero,” creating greater instability and confrontation on the continent, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RT on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
“The world is bigger than Europe. The world is bigger than the United States,” Peskov said, arguing that the future lies in a diverse, multipolar system rather than a unipolar world.
He described BRICS as a grouping united by a shared vision that “is not aimed against the US or European countries,” but at the prosperity of its members, echoing similar remarks made by Putin on Friday.
Peskov also accused Washington of weaponizing the dollar, but argued that this has ultimately benefited Russia, as it was pushed to use other currencies, which now account for more than 90% of its trade with BRICS countries.
“Once we did that, we understood that the system is much more effective,” he said. “But was it originated by BRICS countries against the US dollar? No. It’s because it was a mistake done by the US.”
Russian guests at the New Delhi hotel where Putin is staying received an Indian-style welcome – complete with chocolates shaped like the Moscow skyline and matryoshka dolls.
The gifts were prepared for members of the Russian delegation as leaders and officials continue meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
Modi has shared a warm snapshot from the BRICS Summit showing himself alongside Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping – all three smiling broadly as they chat.
Posted to Modi’s Instagram, the candid shot has the three leaders looking more like old friends catching up than heads of major powers navigating a packed diplomatic agenda.
Sometimes summit chemistry needs no communique.
Modi has proposed that BRICS draw up ten proposals for reforming global governance by its next summit and turn them into a roadmap for change.
“United Nations Security Council reforms cannot be avoided anymore,” Modi said, also urging BRICS to strengthen its own working mechanisms so that its rotating presidency does not slow the grouping’s momentum.
“If our future is together, then the progress towards it must also be together.”
BRICS has entered a new stage where “dreams meet responsibility,” Modi has told the summit, marking 20 years since the grouping’s beginning.
“We respect each other’s interests and move ahead with consensus. We are not against anyone,” Modi said, echoing remarks made on Friday by Vladimir Putin, and calling for cooperation to be translated into tangible results on the global stage.
“From voice to impact, from privilege to partnership – this is the resolve of BRICS at 20,” he added.
In his opening remarks at the BRICS Summit, Modi has called for an overhaul of global governance, arguing that developing nations bear the brunt of global crises while having too little say in decision-making.
“The Global South is today in the front row of global crises, but in the back row as far as decision-making is concerned,” Modi said.
“We must transform this pyramid of privilege into a platform of partnership,” he said, calling for a system “where every country has a voice” and “every member has a stake.”
Modi also greeted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on arrival at the summit.
South Africa joined the original BRIC group in 2010, which became BRICS, and has championed closer South-South cooperation. Pretoria and New Delhi are also longstanding partners through BRICS and the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) forum.
Modi welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the BRICS Summit, with footage showing the two leaders shaking hands and exchanging words before entering the venue.
China and India are two of the group’s founding members and among its largest economies. Xi and Modi are due to hold talks as Beijing calls for greater cooperation and the “proper” handling of differences between the two countries.
India and Russia have moved from a traditional buyer-seller defense relationship toward joint design, production, and exports, former BrahMos Aerospace chief Sudhir Mishra told RT.
“The relationship has become much stronger with every phase that passes,” Mishra said, pointing to BrahMos as a model of “co-design, co-development, co-production.”
He also outlined potential upgrades to BrahMos, including a smaller next-generation missile and longer-range, faster variants, while highlighting opportunities in unmanned systems, lasers, and space technology.
“There is a huge asset of trust, love, affection, and respect between the two civilizations – Russian and Indian,” Mishra said.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov has arrived at the summit.
On the sidelines, he met his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar to discuss trade and investment, high-level contacts, e-visas for Indian travelers and expanding direct air links.
Vladimir Putin’s motorcade has arrived at the BRICS Summit venue in New Delhi, where he was greeted by Narendra Modi.
Footage shows Putin shaking hands with Modi as leaders gather for the summit’s main program.
Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and BRICS Pay India have agreed to advance the bloc’s payment project and develop cross-border payment services.
The partners will explore integrating BRICS Pay with India’s payment infrastructure and launching pilot projects, as members seek to expand settlements in national currencies and link their financial systems.
RT takes a closer look at the project and what it could mean for trade within BRICS.
BRICS members have reached a consensus on a joint statement following negotiations which went on until 4:00 AM, sources say. The document is expected to be issued later on Saturday.
India led consultations to bridge differences on several contentious issues, including amid divergent positions among Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and heightened tensions in West Asia, the sources said.
Modi also met with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, hailing the “new momentum” in the two countries’ strategic partnership.
Modi said cooperation is expanding into semiconductors, critical minerals, clean energy, and infrastructure, alongside growing defense ties and investment.
“Maritime neighbors, close partners and a friendship powered by our people,” Modi wrote on X.
Modi has met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Le Minh Hung, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
It is Le’s first BRICS Summit since taking office in April and Vietnam’s second as a partner country. The two sides have been expanding ties in trade, defense, technology, and critical minerals, with bilateral trade targeted at $25 billion by 2030.
One guest at the BRICS Summit appeared to be particularly thrilled to catch a glimpse of Vladimir Putin.
A video from New Delhi posted online shows a woman filming the Russian president as he walks past at the ITC Maurya hotel – before turning the camera on herself and beaming with delight.
Some reactions need no translation.
China wants relations with India approached from a “strategic height and long-term perspective,” the Chinese ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said ahead of talks between Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
Xu called for greater communication and cooperation, proper handling of differences, and for the two countries to be “friends enjoying good-neighborliness and partners helping each other succeed.”
The meeting will be the third between Xi and Modi in as many years, following talks in Kazan and Tianjin.
Indian President Droupadi Murmu has met with her Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
The meeting follows Pezeshkian’s talks with Modi on Friday, when the two discussed bilateral ties and the situation in West Asia. Modi called for dialogue and diplomacy, as well as safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce.
Countries are increasingly seeking greater “financial sovereignty” as they move to reduce their dependence on centralized global payment infrastructure, BRICS Pay chief Andrey Mikhailishin told RT.
Mikhailishin said reliance on systems such as Visa and Mastercard leaves countries vulnerable to being cut off “by only one decision.”
Russia faced this in 2022 following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, when the two Western payment giants suspended operations in the country, leaving Russian-issued cards unusable abroad and for purchases from foreign online stores. Domestic transactions continued through Russia’s own National Payment Card System. Mikhailishin said BRICS Pay aims to connect national payment networks across borders rather than replacing them.
BRICS members agree on strengthening national currencies and expanding their use in mutual trade, but remain divided over a single currency, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on the sidelines of the summit in New Delhi.
“There are different opinions” within BRICS, Araghchi told reporters. “All members of the group believe that national currencies should be strengthened and trade between member states should be conducted in national currencies.”
A common BRICS currency, however, “is still under consideration,” he added.
Modi also welcomed Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for talks on the sidelines of the gathering.
The two discussed strengthening the India-UAE strategic partnership, including cooperation in trade, investment, technology, energy, and defense, as well as regional and global developments.
Khaled is leading the UAE delegation at the summit on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE joined BRICS as a full member in 2024.
Modi has met with Ethiopia’s Abiy on the sidelines of the summit as well, hailing his first visit to India as taking an “old friendship into new frontiers.”
In a post on X, Modi said the talks covered defense, investment, critical minerals, clean energy, healthcare, and capacity building, with the two sides pledging to work on strengthening India-Africa ties and “amplify the voice of the Global South.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has held separate meetings with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday and met with the host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours later, ahead of Saturday’s main summit program.
Western efforts to isolate Russia have instead accelerated the shift of economic power toward BRICS and undermined the dollar’s global position, American journalist Tucker Carlson says.
Carlson told Afshin Rattansi’s Going Underground that cutting off Russia from the SWIFT financial system after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict gave other countries a powerful incentive to reduce reliance on the dollar.
“If we’re using the US dollar as a weapon of war, there’s no greater incentive for countries to de-dollarize,” he said. “That’s crazy. It’s self-destructive behavior.”
Carlson also argued that US, British, and German policies ultimately weakened the countries pursuing them. “This is self-harm we’re watching,” he said, adding that the effect has been “to dethrone the West” and “topple the American empire.”
This year’s gathering has particular significance – 20 years ago, in September 2006, the foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, and China met for the first time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Known at the time as ‘BRIC’, the fledgling group was widely seen as a political experiment with an uncertain future.
Two decades later, it has expanded into an economic heavyweight with growing global influence. RT looks at how BRICS went from a four-country forum to a major force challenging the old global order.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in India for the BRICS Summit. His two-day visit is expected to include talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
No formal meeting between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled, although the two leaders could hold an informal conversation on the sidelines.
Relations between China and India have steadily improved since a breakthrough meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in Kazan in 2024.
High-level contacts have resumed, progress has been made on managing their disputed border, direct flights have returned, and bilateral trade has reached record levels.
As the two leaders prepare to meet again at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, RT’s Marina Kosareva looks at how relations between the Asian powers have evolved.
BRICS can withstand external pressure and continue to expand because it offers countries of the Global South an alternative platform based on mutual respect rather than Western dominance, Indian MP Sujeet Kumar told RT.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the BJP lawmaker stressed that the group is “non-West, but it is not anti-West,” arguing that Washington’s perception of BRICS as anti-American is “its problem, not the problem of BRICS.”
Kumar said the group seeks greater representation for developing nations in global institutions, arguing that the existing governance architecture no longer reflects the economic and demographic realities. He cited growing BRICS membership and interest from other countries as evidence of demand for greater economic resilience, diversified supply chains, and a stronger voice for the Global South.
As BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi, India is seeking to position itself as a diplomatic bridge in an increasingly polarized world. New Delhi has maintained ties with opposing sides in major conflicts, resisted Western pressure over Russian oil, and repeatedly called for dialogue rather than military solutions.
RT looks at how India’s ‘diplomacy-first’ approach has shaped its response to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East – and what it could mean for the BRICS Summit.