BRICS Summit Day 2: Here’s What Leaders Will Discuss Today 

The 18th BRICS Summit enters its second and final day on Sunday, with leaders set to discuss resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability and explore ways to shape a more inclusive future for global growth.

The leaders will participate in an open session titled “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth” at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

The session comes a day after BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, marking a key outcome of the summit under India’s chairship. The second day is expected to build on those discussions as leaders deliberate on areas of common interest and ways to deepen cooperation across the expanded grouping.

What will BRICS leaders discuss on Day 2?

Sunday’s open session will centre on the four pillars that have shaped India’s BRICS presidency this year — resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.

The discussions are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation among member countries and advancing an inclusive approach to global growth.

As the grouping brings together major emerging economies and developing nations, the session will also provide leaders an opportunity to discuss the changing global economic landscape and issues affecting the Global South.

What happened on Day 1 of the BRICS Summit?

The first day of the summit saw leaders unanimously adopt the New Delhi Declaration 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the declaration as a reflection of a BRICS that is “wider in reach and stronger in purpose”.

In a series of posts on X, Modi said the declaration focuses on innovation, sustainability and people-to-people ties, with the aim of making cooperation within the grouping more practical, development-oriented and responsive to the aspirations of BRICS nations.

The adoption of the declaration set the stage for further discussions on the final day of the summit.

Why are resilience and innovation at the heart of India’s BRICS presidency?

India’s 2026 BRICS chairship is built around the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

The resilience pillar focuses on strengthening economic, social and institutional systems to help countries deal with global uncertainties, supply-chain disruptions, health crises and climate-related risks.

Innovation, meanwhile, focuses on the role of emerging technologies in shaping future growth. Areas such as artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure and fintech have been identified as important avenues for greater cooperation and knowledge-sharing among BRICS countries.

India’s broader objective has been to encourage practical collaboration that can help member countries prepare for future economic and technological challenges.

How will BRICS focus on cooperation and sustainability?

Cooperation remains another major focus of India’s presidency, with the grouping looking at ways to deepen engagement through trade, development finance, policy coordination and reforms in multilateral governance.

The sustainability pillar, meanwhile, brings climate action, green finance, energy transition and sustainable development into focus. The discussions also recognise that countries have different developmental priorities and pathways towards achieving sustainable growth.

Together, the four pillars are aimed at strengthening the ability of BRICS countries to respond to global challenges while pursuing inclusive and sustainable development.

Why is the final day of the BRICS Summit important?

The second day of the summit comes as BRICS continues to expand its economic and political footprint on the global stage.

The grouping now brings together 11 full members and has also introduced a partner-country framework, significantly widening its reach.

With the expanded grouping representing a substantial share of the global population and economy, discussions in New Delhi are being closely watched for signals on the future direction of BRICS and its role in global governance, economic cooperation and development.

As leaders gather for the final day of the summit, the focus will be on translating broad priorities into deeper cooperation and charting the way forward for an expanded BRICS.

(With inputs from ANI)