External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday, 14 September 2026 declared the BRICS India Summit 2026 a landmark diplomatic success, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message of dialogue, diplomacy and development had resonated across the world — with the turnout of global leaders at New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam serving as the clearest proof. The two-day summit, which concluded on Sunday, drew 32 delegations representing 11 member states, 10 partner countries, four regional organisations, and seven international organisations.

An Unprecedented Gathering at Bharat Mandapam

Jaishankar underscored India's 'strong convening power' under Prime Minister Modi, noting that most participating nations were represented at the level of Heads of State or Government. Among those present were Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the Crown Prince of the UAE, along with the UN Secretary-General and heads of the WTO, WHO, and other international organisations.

'There was also a strong sense of personal rapport between these leaders and Prime Minister Modi,' Jaishankar said, pointing to the visuals from the summit as evidence of the warmth of engagement.

Consensus in a Polarised World

The EAM acknowledged the formidable diplomatic challenge — the summit unfolded against the backdrop of two major global conflicts and deep divergences in geopolitical positions. Yet India managed to secure consensus, including a joint statement on the West Asia and Middle East conflict that called for peace, security, stability, and long-term understanding, while also backing the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains, and energy, and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

'Leaders who perhaps would not have met under other circumstances were able to meet during the summit,' Jaishankar noted, adding that the 'open and comfortable conversations' at the summit contributed significantly to the global discourse on pressing issues. In a notable diplomatic achievement, the 'New Delhi Declaration' was adopted on the very first day of the summit — a feat described as remarkable given the divergent positions of participating nations.

Terrorism and the Pahalgam Attack

One of the more pointed outcomes was on counter-terrorism. BRICS nations collectively condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, and explicitly recognised the Pahalgam attack of 22 April 2025 as unacceptable. The consensus statement called for zero tolerance for terrorism and rejected what the bloc described as double standards in countering it — language seen by analysts as a significant diplomatic signal, particularly given the participation of both India and Pakistan-adjacent nations at the forum.

The Substantive Agenda: Global South and Reform

Beyond geopolitics, Jaishankar highlighted a focused substantive agenda centred on the economy, development, and technology for the Global South. He identified 'reform and resilience' as the two key unifying themes that enabled consensus across a diverse group of nations. Strengthening the voice of the Global South, he said, was 'a very strong message' to emerge from the summit — one consistent with India's posture at the G20 in 2023 and its ongoing multilateral strategy.

What Comes Next

The New Delhi Declaration is expected to shape BRICS cooperation frameworks in trade, technology, and development financing over the coming year. Jaishankar's pointed closing remark — 'Many people said it would not happen. It did happen. It happened in New Delhi, and it happened under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi' — signals that India intends to leverage the summit's success in forthcoming bilateral and multilateral engagements. How the commitments made in the Declaration translate into concrete action will be the next test of India's BRICS chairmanship legacy.