Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal on Monday said the BRICS Urbanisation Forum, scheduled for New Delhi on 11-12 June 2026, arrives at a critical juncture as member nations grapple with accelerating urban growth and shared challenges spanning housing, mobility, climate risk, municipal capacity, urban finance, and service delivery. The two-day ministerial event is a centrepiece of India's BRICS Chairship in 2026.

Forum Priorities and Agenda

The Forum will concentrate on four broad pillars: inclusive urban development, climate and disaster-resilient infrastructure, strengthening municipal institutions, and digital innovation for improved urban governance. The overarching theme — 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' — reflects India's people-centric approach to city planning and governance.

The first day will open with an inaugural session followed by a high-level plenary on shared BRICS urban priorities. Delegates will also undertake a field visit to select sites across New Delhi to observe India's urban transformation firsthand.

The second day will feature thematic panel discussions in which member nations will share country-specific experiences. Bilateral discussions between nations are also scheduled, according to an official statement.

What the Government Said

Minister Manohar Lal said India looks forward to welcoming delegates from across the BRICS grouping and to 'working together on cities that are truly for people.' The deliberations, according to the official statement, 'are expected to support shared policy solutions on urbanisation challenges, and strengthen cooperation among BRICS countries on building inclusive, resilient and people-centred cities.'

The Forum is guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Humanity First', which places citizens at the centre of urban planning and governance decisions.

India's History with the BRICS Urbanisation Forum

India has a long-standing role in shaping the BRICS urbanisation agenda. The country first hosted the Forum in New Delhi in 2013, formally placing urbanisation on the BRICS cooperation calendar. A second edition followed in 2016 at Visakhapatnam, with a focus on sustainable urban development, smart cities, and urban resilience.

Most recently, India hosted the Forum virtually in 2021, pivoting the agenda toward urban recovery in the wake of the global pandemic. The 2026 edition marks the first in-person gathering since then, and the first under India's current chairship.

Why This Forum Matters

Rapid urbanisation across BRICS nations — which collectively account for a significant share of the world's urban population — has strained infrastructure, public services, and municipal finances. The Forum provides a structured platform for policy exchange at a time when climate-linked urban disasters, from floods to heatwaves, are testing city administrations across the bloc.

Notably, this edition expands the agenda to include digital governance tools, signalling a shift from traditional infrastructure discussions toward technology-enabled urban management. The outcomes of the ministerial deliberations are expected to feed into broader BRICS cooperation frameworks for the remainder of India's chairship year.