1st BRICS Sherpas’ Meeting 2026: India Kicks Off Summit Preparations with a People-Centric Agenda
India hosted the 1st BRICS Sherpas’ Meeting of its 2026 chairship in New Delhi from 9–10 February 2026, formally launching preparations for the 18th BRICS Summit in the year the grouping marks its 20th anniversary. Chaired by India’s BRICS Sherpa Sudhakar Dalela (Secretary, Economic Relations), the meeting set the tone for India’s priorities under the 2026 theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
What is a BRICS Sherpas’ Meeting?
In BRICS, “Sherpas” are senior officials who steer negotiations, coordinate positions, and shape the agenda before ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit. A Sherpas’ meeting is where countries align on the year’s calendar, thematic tracks, deliverables, and the internal working methods needed to move the chairship forward.
Since 2026 is a major milestone year—20 years since BRICS began as a forum of leading emerging economies—this first Sherpa meeting was especially important for defining what the expanded BRICS format should deliver.
India’s 2026 BRICS theme and the four pillars
India presented its chairship priorities around the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” Public communication around the chairship also frames the approach as people-centric and “humanity-first,” positioning BRICS outcomes around real-world needs like jobs, health, climate resilience, and inclusive technology.
Here’s what the pillars broadly signal:
- Resilience: Strengthening capacities to manage global uncertainty—supply disruptions, economic shocks, and climate risks.
- Innovation: Using modern tech and digital solutions to drive inclusive growth (with particular global interest in India’s Digital Public Infrastructure model).
- Cooperation: Deepening collaboration across BRICS working mechanisms and multilateral engagement in priority areas.
- Sustainability: Joint action across environment, climate change and energy priorities as part of the BRICS work plan.
Key highlights from the New Delhi meeting
1) India presented a broad activity plan across thematic areas
According to MEA-linked reporting, several ministries and departments of the Government of India outlined proposed initiatives across a wide range of BRICS tracks—health, agriculture, labour & employment, disaster risk reduction, environment and climate change, energy, innovation, ICT, security and counter-terrorism, and economic & financial cooperation. This signals that India’s chairship is being structured as a whole-of-government engagement rather than a narrowly diplomatic exercise.
2) Participation under the expanded BRICS format
This Sherpas’ meeting was one of the first major preparatory engagements in the expanded BRICS landscape, with participation from the 11-member grouping—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Indonesia (which joined in 2025, as noted in BRICS 2026 chairship coverage). The expanded membership raises the ambition of BRICS deliverables, but also makes internal coordination more complex—an issue Sherpas are expected to manage through clearer processes and focused outcomes.
3) Call on External Affairs Minister
During the meeting, BRICS Sherpas and country representatives jointly called on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi. This is typically a high-level signal that the chairship is politically anchored and that the year’s agenda has ministerial visibility early in the cycle.
Logo and cultural identity: “Namaste” at the centre of a lotus
India’s BRICS 2026 identity has been presented through a lotus-inspired logo with a central “Namaste” gesture, with multi-coloured petals reflecting member-country diversity and unity. Alongside formal meetings, such chairship events often include curated cultural exposure to showcase India’s heritage and people-to-people connect—an emphasis Jaishankar has highlighted for India’s BRICS year.
India–China Strategic Dialogue on the sidelines
Separately, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held the India–China Strategic Dialogue with China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, with Chinese participation linked to the BRICS Sherpa engagement in New Delhi. MEA communication noted that Ma Zhaoxu was in India to participate in the BRICS Sherpa meeting, and the dialogue reviewed bilateral ties and wider issues.
What to watch next in BRICS 2026
With the Sherpas’ meeting initiating the year’s workstreams, attention now shifts to:
- Sectoral ministerials and working group outcomes across the thematic tracks India has outlined.
- How BRICS operationalises cooperation in areas like health, energy transition, digital economy, and security, given the expanded membership.
- The lead-up to the 18th BRICS Summit, which India will host during its chairship year.
FAQs
Q1. When and where was the 1st BRICS Sherpas’ Meeting under India’s 2026 chairship held?
It was hosted in New Delhi from 9–10 February 2026.
Q2. Who chaired the meeting on behalf of India?
India’s BRICS Sherpa Sudhakar Dalela (Secretary, Economic Relations) chaired the engagement.
Q3. What is India’s BRICS 2026 theme?
The theme is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
Q4. Which thematic areas were discussed for proposed BRICS activities?
Proposed tracks included health, agriculture, labour & employment, disaster risk reduction, environment and climate change, energy, innovation, ICT, security and counter-terrorism, and economic & financial cooperation.
Q5. Why is the 2026 chairship considered significant?
BRICS is marking its 20th anniversary, and India will host the 18th BRICS Summit later in 2026.
