Key Highlights:

  • NDB President arrives: Dilma Rousseff, President of the New Development Bank, arrived in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit.
  • MEA welcomes the visit: The Ministry of External Affairs said it reaffirms India's commitment to development partnerships across the Global South.
  • Multiple world leaders in Delhi: Vladimir Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Antonio Guterres, Masoud Pezeshkian and others have arrived for the summit at Bharat Mandapam.
  • BRICS turns 20: 2026 marks two decades since BRICS's establishment, coinciding with India's fourth Chairship of the grouping.
  • 350+ meetings held under India's Chairship: India has hosted extensive engagements across political-security, economic-financial and cultural pillars during its tenure.
  • Full membership breakdown: BRICS comprises 11 core members, alongside 10 partner countries including Nigeria, Belarus, Vietnam and Kazakhstan.

New Delhi: New Development Bank (NDB) President Dilma Rousseff arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit set to be hosted by India over the weekend.

What Is The New Development Bank: Established in 2015 by BRICS countries, the NDB is a multilateral development bank aimed at mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs). Unlike Western-led institutions such as the World Bank, the NDB was created specifically by and for BRICS nations to fund their own development priorities, making its President's presence at the summit central to discussions on financing the group's infrastructure and growth goals.

"A very warm welcome to President of NDB, Ms. Dilma Rousseff as she arrives in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. The visit reaffirms the importance of strengthening development partnerships and advancing sustainable and inclusive growth across the Global South," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.

Multiple World Leaders Arrive For The Summit

As BRICS Chair 2026, India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12-13. Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Uganda's Vice President Jessica Alupo, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and several other leaders have arrived in New Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit.

India's BRICS chairship is guided by the theme: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability', reflecting PM Modi's vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of "Humanity First." In addition to these areas, the leaders will exchange views on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance.

BRICS Membership: Core Members And Partner Countries

BRICS comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates. BRICS partner countries are: Belarus, Cuba, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

India's Fourth Chairship, BRICS's 20th Anniversary

India is a founding member of BRICS and has previously held its chairship in 2012, 2016 and 2021. India assumed its fourth BRICS chairship on January 1. The year 2026 also marks a significant milestone as BRICS completes 20 years since its establishment.

Under its BRICS chairship, India has hosted over 350 meetings and high-level engagements to further strengthen the BRICS strategic partnership across three fundamental pillars: political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Through these engagements and business-to-business and people-to-people initiatives, India's BRICS chairship has contributed to advancing BRICS cooperation through practical and development-oriented outcomes, according to the statement released by the MEA.

(With inputs from IANS)