Leaders at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 2025 — eighteen summits in eighteen years have transformed an acronym into an institution (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
BRICS Summits 2009–2026: Quick Facts at a Glance
| First Summit | 1st — Yekaterinburg, Russia (16 June 2009) |
| Latest Summit | 18th — New Delhi, India (12–13 September 2026) |
| Total Summits Held | 18 (2009–2026, annual) |
| Most Summits Hosted | India, Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa — rotating annually; India has chaired 4 times (2012, 2016, 2021, 2026) |
| Virtual Summits | 3 — 2020 (Russia), 2021 (India), 2022 (China), due to COVID-19 |
| Founding Members | Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC); South Africa joined 2010 → BRICS |
| Expansion Summit | 15th, Johannesburg 2023 — invited 6 new members |
| Key Institutions Created | New Development Bank (2014), Contingent Reserve Arrangement (2014), BRICS Business Council (2013) |
| Members in 2026 | 11 full members + partner countries |
| 2026 Theme | "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" |
Introduction: Eighteen Summits That Reshaped the World Order
When the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China first sat down together in Yekaterinburg in June 2009, the world was reeling from a financial crisis that had begun on Wall Street and exposed the fragility of a Western-dominated economic order. The four countries — which Goldman Sachs had bundled together as "BRIC" in a 2001 investment report — decided they would no longer be merely a banker's acronym. They would be a political platform.
Seventeen years later, the results are visible in brick and mortar: a $100-billion New Development Bank headquartered in Shanghai, a $100-billion Contingent Reserve Arrangement, an expanded 11-member bloc representing nearly half of humanity and ~40% of world GDP (PPP), and a summit process that has produced declarations shaping debates on everything from UN reform to counter-terrorism to digital public infrastructure. Each annual summit — hosted in rotation by member states — has left its own imprint, captured in its theme and its declaration.
This article traces that journey summit by summit. Whether you're revising for UPSC, SSC, Banking or State PCS exams (where "BRICS summit themes year-wise" is a perennial question), or simply want to understand how the Global South built its flagship institution, consider this your definitive reference. For the latest on the 2026 summit itself, see our Weekly Current Affairs One-Liner (17th–23rd August 2026) and Daily Current Affairs – 8th August 2026.
Complete List of BRICS Summits (2009–2026)
| Year | Edition | Host Country | Host City | Theme | Major Outcomes & Declarations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1st | Russia | Yekaterinburg | No formal theme assigned | Inaugural BRIC summit; joint statement calling for a more democratic, multipolar world order and reform of international financial institutions post-2008 crisis |
| 2010 | 2nd | Brazil | Brasília | No formal theme assigned | Set in motion South Africa's entry into the bloc; pushed global financial governance reform and IMF quota changes |
| 2011 | 3rd | China | Sanya | Broad Vision, Shared Prosperity | South Africa attends for the first time — BRIC becomes BRICS; Sanya Declaration on economic cooperation |
| 2012 | 4th | India | New Delhi | BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity | Delhi Declaration; initiated discussions on creating a new development bank and a financial safety-net arrangement |
| 2013 | 5th | South Africa | Durban | BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialisation | eThekwini Declaration; established the BRICS Business Council; formalised plans for the New Development Bank |
| 2014 | 6th | Brazil | Fortaleza | Inclusive Growth: Sustainable Solutions | Fortaleza Declaration — historic: agreement signed creating the New Development Bank ($100B authorised capital, HQ Shanghai) and the $100B Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) |
| 2015 | 7th | Russia | Ufa | VII BRICS Summit: It's Time for Action | Adopted the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership; focus on counter-terrorism, trade and the NDB's operationalisation |
| 2016 | 8th | India | Goa | Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions | Goa Declaration; first BRICS–BIMSTEC Outreach Summit — the birth of the regional outreach format |
| 2017 | 9th | China | Xiamen | BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future | Xiamen Declaration; introduced the "BRICS Plus" outreach model; named specific terror groups for the first time in a BRICS document |
| 2018 | 10th | South Africa | Johannesburg | BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution | Johannesburg Declaration; focus on the 4th Industrial Revolution, digital economy and the BRICS Vaccine R&D Centre |
| 2019 | 11th | Brazil | Brasília | Economic Growth for an Innovative Future | Brasília Declaration; prioritised science, technology and innovation, counter-terrorism cooperation and regional security |
| 2020 | 12th | Russia | Virtual (Moscow) | BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth | Moscow Declaration; adopted the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy; coordinated COVID-19 health and economic response |
| 2021 | 13th | India | Virtual (New Delhi) | BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus | New Delhi Declaration; adopted the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan; agreement on the Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation |
| 2022 | 14th | China | Virtual (Beijing) | Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development | Beijing Declaration; digital economy, trade facilitation and supply-chain resilience amid the Ukraine conflict's geopolitical shockwaves |
| 2023 | 15th | South Africa | Johannesburg | BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism | Johannesburg II Declaration — landmark: decision to invite six nations (Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE) to join; expansion era begins |
| 2024 | 16th | Russia | Kazan | Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security | Kazan Declaration; first summit of the expanded bloc (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE joined; Argentina declined; Saudi process ongoing); created "Partner Country" category; advanced local-currency settlement (BRICS Pay discussions) |
| 2025 | 17th | Brazil | Rio de Janeiro | Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance | Rio de Janeiro Declaration; formally welcomed Indonesia as a full member; advanced UN, IMF and World Bank shareholding reforms |
| 2026 | 18th | India | New Delhi (Bharat Mandapam) | Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability | New Delhi Summit (12–13 September 2026); "Humanity First" people-centric agenda; focus on human-centric AI, Digital Public Infrastructure, climate finance, NDB expansion and Global South energy resilience; 20th anniversary of BRICS |
Era by Era: How the Summits Evolved
Era 1 — Foundation Years (2009–2013): From Acronym to Alliance
The first five summits established BRICS as a serious diplomatic platform. The 2009 Yekaterinburg summit, held in the shadow of the global financial crisis, issued a joint statement demanding a multipolar world order and reform of the Bretton Woods institutions — themes that would echo through every subsequent declaration. The 2010 Brasília summit deepened economic coordination and opened the door to South Africa, which attended the 2011 Sanya summit as a full member, completing the BRICS acronym. India's 2012 New Delhi summit proved quietly historic: it was there that leaders first seriously explored creating their own development bank — the seed of the NDB. The 2013 Durban summit connected the bloc to African development and created the BRICS Business Council, giving the grouping a private-sector arm.
Era 2 — Institution Building (2014–2019): The Bank Years
The 2014 Fortaleza summit remains the single most consequential in BRICS history. The Fortaleza Declaration announced the signing of the agreement establishing the New Development Bank — with $100 billion in authorised capital, headquartered in Shanghai, with its first regional centre in Johannesburg — and the $100-billion Contingent Reserve Arrangement, a liquidity safety net for members facing balance-of-payments pressure. For the first time, BRICS had institutions, not just intentions. The following summits consolidated: Ufa 2015 adopted the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership; Goa 2016 invented the outreach format by inviting BIMSTEC leaders; Xiamen 2017 launched "BRICS Plus" and — significantly for India — named Pakistan-based terror groups in the declaration for the first time; Johannesburg 2018 turned the agenda toward the Fourth Industrial Revolution; and Brasília 2019 foregrounded innovation and counter-terrorism cooperation.
Era 3 — The Virtual Years (2020–2022): Solidarity Through a Pandemic
COVID-19 forced three consecutive virtual summits — yet the bloc's institutional work continued uninterrupted. Russia 2020 adopted the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy and coordinated pandemic response. India 2021 (the "BRICS @ 15" summit) converted that strategy into a concrete Counter-Terrorism Action Plan and concluded the agreement on the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation — a genuine space-cooperation milestone. China 2022, held against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict, emphasised supply-chain resilience and digital economy cooperation, even as the war exposed the bloc's internal geopolitical tensions.
Era 4 — The Expansion Era (2023–2026): From Club to Coalition
The 2023 Johannesburg summit changed BRICS forever: leaders invited Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to join — the first expansion since South Africa's entry in 2010. Kazan 2024 convened the first summit of the enlarged bloc (Argentina having declined, and Saudi Arabia's accession proceeding in phases), created the "Partner Country" category for aspiring members, and pushed local-currency trade settlement into the bloc's core agenda. Rio de Janeiro 2025 welcomed Indonesia as a full member and sharpened demands for UN, IMF and World Bank reform. And New Delhi 2026 — the 18th summit, held at Bharat Mandapam on 12–13 September 2026 — marks the bloc's 20th anniversary with India's "Humanity First" agenda of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
India's Four Summits: A Closer Look
4th Summit — New Delhi, 2012
Theme: "BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity." The Delhi Declaration initiated the discussions that created the New Development Bank two years later — arguably India's most lasting contribution to BRICS institutional architecture.
8th Summit — Goa, 2016
Theme: "Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions" — note the BRICS-acronym wordplay, repeated in 2026. Goa hosted the first BRICS–BIMSTEC Outreach Summit, inventing the regional-outreach format the bloc still uses.
13th Summit — Virtual, 2021
Theme: "BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus." Delivered the Counter-Terrorism Action Plan and the Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation agreement — substance despite the screen.
18th Summit — New Delhi, 2026
Theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." India's fourth chairship, at Bharat Mandapam, on the bloc's 20th anniversary — preceded by 350+ meetings across 25 Indian cities, including the Indore agriculture declaration, Jaipur trade ministers' meet and Udaipur competition summit.
Landmark Milestones Across the Summits
| Milestone | Summit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| First joint statement — multipolar world order | 1st, Yekaterinburg 2009 | The bloc's founding political document |
| South Africa joins — BRIC becomes BRICS | 3rd, Sanya 2011 | African representation; the acronym completed |
| Idea of a BRICS development bank raised | 4th, New Delhi 2012 | Genesis of the NDB |
| BRICS Business Council established | 5th, Durban 2013 | Private-sector institutionalisation |
| New Development Bank + CRA created | 6th, Fortaleza 2014 | The bloc's financial architecture — its biggest-ever deliverable |
| First outreach summit (BIMSTEC) | 8th, Goa 2016 | Regional bridge-building format |
| "BRICS Plus" introduced | 9th, Xiamen 2017 | Blueprint for engaging the wider Global South |
| Counter-Terrorism Strategy | 12th, Virtual 2020 | First unified security doctrine |
| Satellite Constellation agreement | 13th, Virtual 2021 | Space cooperation institutionalised |
| Expansion decision (6 invitees) | 15th, Johannesburg 2023 | The transformation from club to coalition |
| Partner Country category created | 16th, Kazan 2024 | Managed growth of the BRICS network |
| Indonesia welcomed as full member | 17th, Rio de Janeiro 2025 | Southeast Asia's largest economy joins |
| 20th anniversary; "Humanity First" agenda | 18th, New Delhi 2026 | Consolidation of the expanded bloc under India's chairship |
Key Facts for Exams (Rapid Revision)
- First BRIC summit: 2009, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
- South Africa's first summit: 2011, Sanya, China.
- NDB + CRA created: 2014, Fortaleza, Brazil (6th summit) — NDB HQ in Shanghai.
- India's summits: 2012 (New Delhi), 2016 (Goa), 2021 (virtual), 2026 (New Delhi, Bharat Mandapam).
- BRICS Plus introduced: 2017, Xiamen, China.
- Virtual summits: 2020 (Russia), 2021 (India), 2022 (China).
- Expansion decided: 2023, Johannesburg — 6 invitees; Argentina later declined.
- First expanded-bloc summit: 2024, Kazan, Russia — Partner Country category created.
- Indonesia full member: welcomed at 2025, Rio de Janeiro (17th summit).
- 18th summit: 12–13 September 2026, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
Exam Angle: High-Probability Questions
Direct match-the-following: Year ↔ Host city (Yekaterinburg-2009, Fortaleza-2014, Goa-2016, Xiamen-2017, Johannesburg-2023, Kazan-2024, Rio-2025, New Delhi-2026). Theme-based: "BRICS @ 15" (2021 India), "Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions" (2016 Goa), "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" (2026 India) — note both Indian acronym themes. Institution-based: NDB/CRA (Fortaleza 2014), Business Council (Durban 2013), BRICS Plus (Xiamen 2017), Counter-Terrorism Strategy (2020), Action Plan (2021), Partner Countries (Kazan 2024). Sequence traps: South Africa joined in 2010 but attended its first summit in 2011; Argentina was invited in 2023 but never joined; the 2020–22 summits were virtual, not cancelled. Mains: trace the institutional evolution of BRICS as a case study in Global South multilateralism; evaluate the 2023 expansion's impact on the bloc's coherence and clout.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When and where was the first BRICS summit held?
The first BRIC summit was held on 16 June 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, with the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined in 2010 and attended its first summit in 2011 at Sanya, China.
How many BRICS summits have been held till 2026?
18 summits, held annually from 2009 (Yekaterinburg) to 2026 (New Delhi) — including three virtual summits in 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Which BRICS summit created the New Development Bank?
The 6th summit at Fortaleza, Brazil (2014), where the Fortaleza Declaration announced the agreement establishing the New Development Bank ($100 billion authorised capital, HQ Shanghai) and the $100 billion Contingent Reserve Arrangement.
Which summit decided the expansion of BRICS?
The 15th summit at Johannesburg, South Africa (2023), which invited Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to join. Argentina later declined; Indonesia joined as a full member in 2025, taking the bloc to 11 members.
How many times has India hosted the BRICS summit?
Four times — 2012 (New Delhi), 2016 (Goa), 2021 (virtual, chaired by New Delhi) and 2026 (New Delhi, Bharat Mandapam).
What is the theme of the 18th BRICS Summit 2026?
"Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" — the initials R-I-C-S completing the word BRICS, echoing India's 2016 Goa theme. The summit was held on 12–13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Which countries have hosted the BRICS summit most often?
Each of the five original members hosts in rotation. By 2026: India and Russia have hosted 4 times each (Russia: 2009, 2015, 2020, 2024), while Brazil (2010, 2014, 2019, 2025) has also hosted 4 times; China 3 (2011, 2017, 2022) and South Africa 3 (2013, 2018, 2023).
What is the "BRICS Plus" format and which summit introduced it?
BRICS Plus — the practice of inviting non-member countries from the Global South to summit outreach sessions — was introduced at the 9th summit in Xiamen, China (2017). India's Goa 2016 summit had earlier pioneered the regional-outreach format with BIMSTEC leaders.
Conclusion
Read the eighteen rows of the summit table in sequence, and you can watch an idea become an institution: the declaratory politics of Yekaterinburg hardening into the bank and reserve fund of Fortaleza; the club of five becoming the coalition of eleven at Johannesburg and Kazan; the pandemic-era virtual summits proving the grouping's resilience; and New Delhi 2026 — on the bloc's 20th anniversary — attempting to give an expanded BRICS a practical, people-centred purpose. Themes and declarations may sound ceremonial, but in the BRICS story they have consistently been the first draft of real institutions. For exam aspirants, this table is pure gold; for observers of world politics, it is the record of the Global South learning to speak in its own voice. Keep it bookmarked on Barristery.in.
BRICS Summits 2009–2026 Themes Year-wise Fortaleza NDB 2014 Johannesburg 2023 Expansion New Delhi 2026 18th BRICS Summit Current Affairs 2026
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