As India will assume the presidency of BRICS from January 1, 2026, it aims to rebrand the platform with a ‘humanity-first approach’ for the 18th Summit. While addressing the session on ‘environment, COP-30, and global health’ on July 7, 2025, during the 17th Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the agenda for next year. The 18th Summit will prioritise the voice of the Global South to present a ‘new form’ of the BRICS: Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability. Yet, this rebranding effort risks being undermined, given India’s approach to advancing national priorities within the group, particularly counterterrorism and trade, rather than building on collective member concerns.
The 17th BRICS Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, highlighted this distinction. While the agenda covered global governance, peace and security, economic development and technologies for sustainable development, India concentrated on counterterrorism and economic resilience, issues rooted in its national priorities rather than collective multilateral ones. The challenge for India’s 2026 chairship will be to convert tactical diplomatic gains into structural reforms that align with its rebranding efforts.