New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, outreach invitees and heads of international organisations posed for a family photograph at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Sunday.
Modi joined Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for the ceremonial photograph at Bharat Mandapam.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and World Health Organisation (WHO) Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with several other leaders and representatives of international organisations, also participated in the gathering.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi welcomed leaders of the expanded BRICS grouping as they arrived at Bharat Mandapam for the second day of the summit.
The summit, hosted by India, is being held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. Leaders have discussed ways to strengthen cooperation among the expanded grouping amid growing geopolitical and economic challenges.
On Saturday, BRICS nations adopted the New Delhi Declaration, which commended India for hosting the Outreach/BRICS Plus Dialogue segment of the summit. The declaration said India’s chairship had provided “new impetus” to efforts aimed at strengthening international cooperation and solidarity.
The BRICS leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the grouping’s core principles, including mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration and consensus.
The adoption of a joint statement on the first day of the summit was described as a significant diplomatic achievement, particularly given the differing geopolitical positions and priorities of several participating countries.
The New Delhi Declaration said that, building on two decades of BRICS cooperation, members would further strengthen collaboration under three broad pillars — political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
The declaration also underlined the importance of strengthening the BRICS strategic partnership for the benefit of people across member countries. It called for greater efforts towards peace, a more representative and equitable international order, a strengthened and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development and inclusive growth.
The summit also featured several engagements beyond formal discussions. On Saturday evening, visiting leaders attended a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi at Bharat Mandapam.
BRICS leaders also took part in a joint tree plantation initiative, highlighting the grouping’s focus on sustainability and environmental cooperation.
The leaders further visited the Bharat Innovates Exposition at Bharat Mandapam, showcasing innovation and emerging capabilities from India and other participating countries.
The family photograph on Sunday marked a symbolic moment of the expanded BRICS grouping, bringing together leaders from diverse regions and development trajectories as India sought to promote greater cooperation, solidarity and dialogue among member and partner countries.
