Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar delivered the Valedictory Address at the 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum 2026 in New Delhi on Friday, June 12, 2026, and addressed a press briefing following the adoption of what the minister described as the first-ever BRICS Urban Ministerial Declaration.

Context

The forum brought together urban affairs ministers and senior officials from BRICS member states and partner countries to exchange policy experiences and urban development strategies. Khattar described the gathering as 'an important step towards strengthening BRICS cooperation for people-centric, inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development.'

Two significant outcomes marked the close of the forum: the release of a compendium titled 'Cities for People: Urban Stories from BRICS Nations', and a positive reception to India's proposal for a BRICS Urban Research and Knowledge Network — a platform intended to institutionalise knowledge sharing among member nations on city planning and urban innovation.

Policy Backdrop

India has consistently used multilateral platforms to project its domestic urban missions as replicable models for the Global South. Flagship schemes such as the Smart Cities Mission, launched in 2015, and AMRUT 2.0, launched in 2021, target sustainable urban infrastructure, universal water supply, and digital city governance — themes closely aligned with the BRICS forum's stated agenda.

The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), established in 2014, has financed urban infrastructure projects across member states, providing a financial architecture that could underpin future commitments emerging from the new declaration. India's 2024 BRICS chairship and the grouping's expansion to new member nations have broadened the forum's geographic and thematic scope, with greater emphasis on inclusive growth models suited to rapidly urbanising economies.

Stakeholders and Impact

Urban local bodies across BRICS nations stand to benefit most directly from the proposed BRICS Urban Research and Knowledge Network, which — if operationalised — would give city administrators access to peer-reviewed urban solutions from across member states. For India, the network also offers a channel to position its urban governance experience as a reference point for developing economies.

The BRICS Urban Ministerial Declaration, adopted at the forum, signals a political commitment by member governments to coordinate more formally on urban policy — a step beyond the technical exchanges that have characterised earlier editions of the forum. Partner countries present at the event add a further diplomatic dimension, extending the forum's reach beyond the core BRICS bloc.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to whether the proposed BRICS Urban Research and Knowledge Network moves from endorsement to formal establishment, including decisions on its secretariat, funding, and operational mandate. Any follow-up announcements from the NDB on urban infrastructure financing tied to the new declaration will be closely watched by member governments and city planners alike.

The declaration and India's knowledge-network proposal together set an agenda that successive BRICS presidencies will be expected to advance — making the operationalisation timeline a key indicator of the forum's real-world impact on urban development across member nations.