New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday described the BRICS grouping's 20th anniversary as a "coming of age" moment and called on member countries to formulate a new and ambitious agenda for the next two decades.
Addressing the opening session of the 18th BRICS Summit on "Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism" at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Modi welcomed the participating leaders and outlined India's priorities as chair of the grouping.
The Prime Minister said India's BRICS Chairship has been guided by a people-centric approach based on the principle of "Humanity First", with resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability identified as key priorities.
He highlighted India's efforts to connect BRICS cooperation with ordinary citizens and said more than 350 meetings and events had been organised during the country's chairship. Delegations from member and partner countries were hosted across nearly 30 Indian cities as part of the programme.
Modi said BRICS has established a distinct identity on the global stage over the past two decades and stressed that the grouping is not directed against any country or bloc. Instead, he said, BRICS should continue moving forward through consensus and an approach that seeks to take all members along.
"This year's BRICS summit marks a historic milestone," Modi said, noting that the grouping is completing 20 years. He compared the milestone to a person's transition into adulthood, when greater maturity and responsibility accompany new aspirations.
The Prime Minister said the time had come to translate BRICS' unity and consensus into tangible outcomes at the global level. He proposed the creation of a "BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism" to ensure that initiatives and decisions continue to receive follow-up despite the annual rotation of the BRICS presidency.
According to Modi, the proposed mechanism would use the existing "Troika" arrangement to maintain institutional momentum and ensure continuity between successive presidencies.
The Prime Minister also called for reforms in global governance, arguing that countries of the Global South remain heavily affected by global crises while having limited influence over international decision-making.
He compared the existing global governance structure to a pyramid, where power and decision-making remain concentrated at the top while countries at lower levels often have little ability to shape decisions that directly affect them.
Modi called for transforming this "pyramid of privilege" into a "platform of partnership", where every country has a voice and stake in global decision-making and human development remains central.
To advance this objective, he proposed that BRICS nations jointly formulate 10 proposals for global governance reform and develop them into a BRICS reform roadmap by the time of the next summit.
The Prime Minister's proposals underline India's broader objective of strengthening multilateral institutions while giving greater representation to developing and emerging economies.
As BRICS enters its third decade, Modi's remarks sought to position the grouping as a platform capable of delivering practical outcomes, maintaining continuity and playing a stronger role in shaping a more inclusive global governance system.
