India to Host BRICS Summit Amid Global Divisions

India will host the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, bringing together leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and representatives of the expanded membership. Xi’s first India visit in seven years and expected meetings among Modi, Xi and Putin will make the summit a significant test of India-China relations, including efforts to ease tensions along the Line of Actual Control, while India and Russia are expected to discuss defense cooperation. The summit comes amid wars in West Asia and Ukraine, energy and agricultural supply disruptions, and disagreements among BRICS members—particularly Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE—that could hinder a joint statement after the group’s foreign ministers failed to reach consensus in May. India is seeking to use its chairmanship to strengthen the voice of the Global South and advance cooperation on global governance, trade, energy security and economic development. New Delhi is also expected to promote linking members’ central bank digital currencies to improve cross-border payments, though regulatory barriers, limited adoption, geopolitical mistrust and trade imbalances, especially between India and China, could complicate the plan.