Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, visit the exhibition of the "Innovative India" dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the BRICS in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.The BRICS Summit will convene for a second day on Sunday as the leaders of the member states will attend key outreach events at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. The BRICS programme will begin at around 10 am on Sunday, which will include a join photo session at around 10:30 am.On Saturday, the BRICS grouping adopted the New Delhi Declaration, laying out common positions on issues ranging from trade and terrorism to artificial intelligence and institutional reform. The group expressed concern over rising tensions and condemned the use of tariffs.Story continues below this adPrime Minister Narendra Modi also held a gala dinner for the leaders of the BRICS nations yesterday. Apart from the leaders of the participating countries, union ministers and the chief ministers of several states were also present. Notable absentees included Chinese President Xi Jinping and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed.Live UpdatesSep 13, 2026 08:40 AM ISTWhy BRICS Summit is significant this yearThe BRICS Summit, being hosted in New Delhi, is being held in the backdrop of tariffs, trade tensions, and geopolitical fragmentation. While India and China have taken steps to ease their strained ties after border standoff in 2020, several global challenges, including the West Asia conflict and its resultant threat on oil trade, Ukraine War, US tariffs and geopolitical fragmentation.To be sure, the participation of Iran and the UAE, in whose region the American military bases have been target of Tehran's strikes during the ongoing conflict, was one of the highlights of the summit. Iran President Pezeshkian also met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.In the New Delhi joint declaration, released on Saturday, the BRICS leaders expressed “deep concern” over the escalation of tensions across West Asia and calls for maximum restraint and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.Sep 13, 2026 08:26 AM ISTWhat is BRICS and why does it mattersThe BRICS is a group of emerging economies founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010.In fact, the term BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In the past years, the group has expanded to 11 members, representing about half the world’s population and a significant share of global economic output. In 2024, BRICS admitted four new members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.Essentially, BRICS has been envisaged as a grouping of non-Western countries, which can act as a counterweight to institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, dominated by the Global North. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the grouping now represents 40% of the global GDP and 25% of trade.Sep 13, 2026 08:15 AM ISTTibetans protesting Xi Jinping's India visit detained near Pragati MaidanAt least five Tibetan nationals have been detained near Pragati Maidan, the site of BRICS Summit, on Friday morning over protest against the Chinese President's New Delhi visit, news agency PTI reported, citing Delhi Police sources.Sep 13, 2026 08:10 AM ISTBRICS Summit Day 2: What to expect todayThe BRICS Summit will resume for the final day on Sunday with the leaders of the member nations participating in a group photo and a session on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth”.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd