BRICS Summit 2026: From sattu to handicrafts; Media goodie bag showcasing India’s cultural diversity

India’s cultural diversity has found an unusual ambassador at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi: a carefully curated media kit handed out to journalists covering the high-profile diplomatic gathering.

India Today Global, in an Instagram post, offered a glimpse inside the BRICS 2026 media kit, showcasing a selection of Indian food products, handicrafts and everyday items alongside official BRICS-branded stationery and accessories.

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What is inside the BRICS 2026 media kit?

Among the key items are sattu and makhana from Bihar. Sattu, traditionally consumed as a drink, represents an important part of Bihar’s culinary heritage, while makhana, or fox nuts, showcases one of the state’s prominent agricultural and food products. The inclusion of both products brings a taste of Bihar’s traditional food culture to the summit.

The kit also features coffee grown in the hills of Koraput in Odisha. Koraput has emerged as an important coffee-growing region, and the inclusion of its coffee highlights Odisha’s growing coffee landscape while introducing an Indian regional product to an international audience.

Another significant component is a selection of handicrafts from Gujarat. These products put the spotlight on the state’s long-standing traditions of craftsmanship and artisanal skills. Together, the Bihar, Odisha and Gujarat products turn the media kit into a compact showcase of India's regional identities.

The cultural selection complements the practical items visible in the India Today Global video of the kit, including BRICS-branded stationery, a flask, mug, tote bag and charging cable.

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The initiative has been coordinated by the Ministry of External Affairs, which partnered with three state governments to bring traditional food and handicrafts into the media kits. Vasudev Ravi, OSD, PR, MEA, described the idea as an opportunity to showcase the “India Story” to Indian and international media covering the summit.

The BRICS 2026 media kit therefore goes beyond being a collection of goodies. It offers journalists covering the summit a compact representation of India's food, craft, commerce and cultural diversity, packaged alongside the formal symbolism of one of the world's major international groupings.