BRICS Summit 2026: Who is Sudhakar Dalela, what does a Sherpa do and what is India’s agenda?

BRICS 2026: A BRICS Sherpa is the senior government official who serves as the main negotiator and coordinator for a country in the BRICS process. The Sherpa works behind the scenes to prepare the ground for decisions that are eventually considered by foreign ministers and BRICS leaders.

For India’s 2026 BRICS chairship, this role is being performed by Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA officially identifies him as India’s BRICS Sherpa.

What exactly does a BRICS Sherpa do? 

Think of the Sherpa as the chief negotiator and policy coordinator for a country's BRICS engagement.

The Sherpa track typically:

• Prepares the agenda for major BRICS meetings and the annual leaders' summit. 
• Coordinates positions among member countries on contentious issues. 
• Negotiates the language of joint statements, declarations and outcome documents. 
• Brings together inputs from different ministries and BRICS working groups. 
• Resolves differences before issues reach the foreign ministers or heads of government. 
• Tracks implementation of commitments agreed by BRICS leaders. 

Coordinates closely with the Sous-Sherpa, who supports the Sherpa and handles detailed negotiations and follow-up.

This makes the Sherpa particularly important because BRICS does not operate like a conventional organisation with a permanent secretariat. Much of the coordination is conducted through the country holding the rotating presidency and its designated officials.

How is a BRICS Sherpa appointed? 

There is no single BRICS-wide election or appointment process.

Each member country designates its own Sherpa. The appointment is made by the country's government, generally from among senior officials who have the authority and diplomatic experience to negotiate on behalf of the government.

In India's case, the government has designated the Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Sudhakar Dalela, as India's BRICS Sherpa. He chaired the first Sherpa/Sous-Sherpa meeting under India's 2026 chairship in New Delhi.

So, importantly, the BRICS Sherpa is not the chairperson of BRICS. The country holding the presidency sets the broader agenda, while its Sherpa is the key official responsible for negotiating and coordinating that agenda with the other member countries.

What is the BRICS 2026 theme? 

India assumed the BRICS chairship in 2026, the year in which the grouping marks its 20th anniversary. India unveiled the official theme on January 13, 2026: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

The four words — Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability — broadly define India's approach to the presidency.

What is on the BRICS 2026 agenda? 

India's 2026 chairship is focused on using BRICS as a platform for practical cooperation among emerging economies and the broader Global South.

The agenda emerging from the Sherpa and ministerial tracks includes:

1. Economic and financial cooperation: India is seeking greater cooperation in trade, investment, development finance and strengthening economic resilience among BRICS economies.

2. Innovation, technology and digital cooperation: Technology, innovation and emerging technologies are central to the 2026 agenda, including discussions around how developing economies can benefit from technological change.

3. Sustainability and climate action: Sustainable development, climate-related challenges and resilience are important components of India's presidency, alongside discussions on development priorities of emerging economies.

4. Health and people-centric development: India has emphasised a more people-centric BRICS, with cooperation extending beyond macroeconomics and geopolitics to health, education, skills and social development. The first Sherpa meeting also highlighted this approach.

5. Reform of global governance: A key strategic strand is greater representation for developing countries in international institutions and a stronger voice for the Global South.

6. Strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation: With BRICS having expanded significantly in recent years, India also faces the challenge of making the enlarged grouping more effective and building consensus among countries with different economic and geopolitical interests.

Why the Sherpa track matters in 2026 

The Sherpa meetings are effectively the negotiating engine of the BRICS presidency. The leaders' summit gets the headlines, but much of the difficult work happens beforehand.

India's first Sherpa/Sous-Sherpa meeting was held in New Delhi on February 9-10, 2026, chaired by Dalela. The meeting discussed India's priorities and the roadmap for the year's BRICS process.

The Sherpa process then feeds into ministerial meetings and ultimately the BRICS leaders' summit and its declaration. In other words, if the BRICS leaders are expected to agree on a common position, the Sherpas are among the officials who do the detailed diplomatic work needed to make that agreement possible.