BRICS Summit 2026: A quick guide to the most powerful leaders in town

BRICS 2026: New Delhi takes center stage as heads of state and delegates gather at Bharat Mandapam for the 18th BRICS summit. Following the bloc’s historic enlargement — welcoming nations across the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia — the summit represents an unprecedented concentration of global population, energy production, and emerging market capital. 

As the Summit unfolds against a backdrop of complex geopolitical tensions and shifts in global trade, the core agenda centers on multilateral governance reform, local currency trade, supply chain resilience, and digital infrastructure integration.

While joint declarations shape institutional progress, the true trajectory of the summit depends on individual power dynamics and bilateral diplomacy among the key leaders in attendance. 

Narendra Modi 

• Country: India (Host) 
• Age: 75 
• Economy: $4.3 trillion GDP 
• Biggest India connection: Hosting the summit in New Delhi to position India as a pragmatic bridge between the Global South and Western powers. 
• One thing to watch: How he manages India's strategic autonomy, balancing ties with traditional Western allies while driving core economic initiatives within the expanded BRICS bloc. 

Xi Jinping 

• Country: China 
• Age: 73 
• Economy: $19.5 trillion GDP 
• Biggest India connection: Complex bilateral relations defined by ongoing border management along the Line of Actual Control alongside massive commercial trade flows. 
• One thing to watch: High-level bilateral discussions on the sidelines with PM Modi aimed at stabilizing diplomatic friction, resolving border standoffs, and easing trade barriers. 

Vladimir Putin 

• Country: Russia 
• Age: 73 
• Economy: $2.1 trillion GDP 
• Biggest India connection: Decades-old strategic partnership anchored by extensive defense cooperation, joint technology development, and discounted crude oil trade. 
• One thing to watch: Efforts to accelerate non-dollar cross-border payment mechanisms and secure broader support for alternative international financial architecture. 

Masoud Pezeshkian 

• Country: Iran 
• Age: 71 
• Economy: $400 billion GDP 
• Biggest India connection: India’s strategic investment and operations at Chabahar Port, serving as a critical transit corridor to Central Asia and Eurasia. 
• One thing to watch: How Iran uses the summit to build economic alignment with non-Western powers amid ongoing regional conflicts and Western sanctions. 

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan 

• Country: United Arab Emirates (UAE) 
• Age: 65 
• Economy: ~$530 billion GDP 
• Biggest India connection: Deep economic integration via the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), supported by a 3.5 million-strong Indian diaspora. 
• One thing to watch: Pushing for expanded capital flows, joint renewable energy initiatives, and technology partnerships connecting West Asia and India. 

Cyril Ramaphosa 

• Country: South Africa 
• Age: 73 
• Economy: $400 billion GDP 
• Biggest India connection: Strong historical ties, joint membership in the IBSA dialogue forum, and major trade in critical minerals and pharmaceuticals. 
• One thing to watch: Amplifying calls for structural reform of global financial institutions like the IMF and UN Security Council to ensure stronger representation for African nations. 

New Delhi has turned into the world's biggest diplomatic address this week. As the 18th BRICS Summit is set to off at Bharat Mandapam, PM Narendra Modi is set for a marathon of high-stakes one-on-ones — starting with Russia's Vladimir Putin and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian on September 11, followed by the most closely watched meeting of them all: China's Xi Jinping on September 12, his first India visit in seven years.