By The South Asia Times 

NEW DELHI — Leaders and senior representatives from the expanded BRICS group have gathered in New Delhi for a two-day summit focused on global economic cooperation, trade, investment, energy security and major geopolitical conflicts.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Sept. 12-13, under its 2026 BRICS presidency.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting the summit, while Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are among the prominent leaders attending.

Xi arrived in New Delhi on Saturday, his first visit to India in seven years, and is scheduled to hold talks with Modi on the sidelines of the summit. Putin has also arrived and held discussions with Modi ahead of the main summit.

The United Arab Emirates, another BRICS member, is being represented by Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while Brazil is represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.

BRICS currently has 11 full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The summit is also bringing together representatives from BRICS partner countries and other invited states and international organizations. India has said participants from 32 countries and global organizations, including the United Nations and World Health Organization, are expected to take part in the wider summit program.

Partner countries attending include Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam, among others, while representatives of regional organizations such as ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council are also participating.

The summit comes at a particularly tense moment, with the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Russia-Ukraine war and continuing disruptions to global energy and trade routes putting pressure on the expanded bloc.

The Iran conflict is especially sensitive because Iran and the UAE are both BRICS members, while the war has affected energy flows through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

BRICS leaders are expected to discuss strengthening trade and investment among member states, energy security, technology, development cooperation and reforms to international institutions.

India is also pushing initiatives including a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund, BRICS Incubator Network and logistics and supply-chain cooperation framework.

The summit will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 13, when leaders are expected to adopt an outcome document addressing economic cooperation and major international issues.