New Delhi, September 4: Russia’s Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, has said that India’s chairmanship of BRICS has made progress across several areas and expressed confidence that the upcoming summit will reflect the work carried out during the year.
Speaking to media ahead of the summit, Alipov said India had organised hundreds of ministerial-level meetings and advanced projects initiated by previous BRICS chairs, including Russia’s chairmanship in 2024.“India has managed its chairship in the format very ably, very successfully,” he said.
The ambassador said discussions had progressed on proposals including a grain exchange, cross-border payments and a new investment platform. He also referred to initiatives proposed by India, such as smart grids, energy storage, a startup innovation hub, an incubator network, and a logistics and supply chain framework.“On all these tracks we have moved forward, progressed; the agenda is very rich. I’m sure the discussion is going to be very substantial,” Alipov said.
He said BRICS cooperation broadly covers political and security issues, economic development, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.“On all these tracks we have progressed. And from this angle, it’s safe to say already that the chairmanship of India this year has become a huge success and the summit will confirm that,” he said.Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the summit. His visit is likely to include discussions on India-Russia relations and issues concerning the BRICS grouping.
India will host the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The summit will bring together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India’s BRICS chairmanship is guided by the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” and reflects a people-centric approach based on the principle of “Humanity First”.
The leaders will discuss ways to strengthen cooperation within BRICS and exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual interest.
Under India’s chairmanship, more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been held in over 25 cities across the country. These engagements have focused on political and security cooperation, economic and financial matters, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
India assumed its fourth BRICS chairmanship on January 1, 2026, having previously held the position in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The year also marks 20 years since the establishment of BRICS.