Brazil formally handed over the BRICS presidency to India at the 4th BRICS Sherpas Meeting, concluded on December 12, 2025, with the symbolic transfer of the gavel. India will serve as the rotating Chair of BRICS throughout 2026 — the country's fourth time in this role, having previously held the Chairship in 2012, 2016, and 2021. India's BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' (BRICS), reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit. The four priority pillars — Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability — form the strategic architecture for India's presidency agenda, which will include reforming global governance institutions, promoting multipolarity, and strengthening South-South cooperation. BRICS+ currently comprises ten member countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. As Chair, India will set the agenda, convene working group meetings, and host the annual BRICS Summit in 2026. India's presidency comes at a time of global trade frictions, renewed geopolitical tensions, and pressure on multilateral institutions — making India's emphasis on inclusive multilateralism and reform particularly significant. The dedicated website brics2026.gov.in has been launched to communicate India's presidency priorities and track progress across working groups.
India Assumes BRICS Presidency 2026: Brazil Formally Hands Over Gavel at 4th Sherpas Meeting; Theme 'Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'
Brazil formally handed over the BRICS presidency to India at the 4th BRICS Sherpas Meeting, concluded on December 12, 2025, with the symbolic transfer of the gavel. India will serve as the rotating Chair of BRICS throughout 2026 — the country's fourth time in this role, having previously held the Chairship in 2012, 2016, and 2021. India's BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' (BRICS), reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit. The four priority pillars — Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability — form the strategic architecture for India's presidency agenda, which will include reforming global governance institutions, promoting multipolarity, and strengthening South-South cooperation. BRICS+ currently comprises ten member countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. As Chair, India will set the agenda, convene working group meetings, and host the annual BRICS Summit in 2026. India's presidency comes at a time of global trade frictions, renewed geopolitical tensions, and pressure on multilateral institutions — making India's emphasis on inclusive multilateralism and reform particularly significant. The dedicated website brics2026.gov.in has been launched to communicate India's presidency priorities and track progress across working groups.
Key facts
- Brazil formally handed over the BRICS presidency to India at the 4th Sherpas Meeting on December 12, 2025.
- India's BRICS 2026 theme is 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.
- This is India's fourth BRICS Chairship after 2012, 2016, and 2021.
- BRICS+ now comprises ten members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, SA, and UAE.
- India will host the annual BRICS Summit in 2026 and set the working group agenda.
- The dedicated website brics2026.gov.in was launched to communicate India's presidency priorities.
PYQPrelims/PYQ angle
- RAS 2013 Write about BRICS Countries — Both discuss BRICS membership and its role in global governance, directly relevant to India's 2026 presidency.
Mains angle
Q: What are the strategic priorities of India's fourth BRICS presidency in 2026?
Answer (50 words):
India assumed the BRICS chair for its fourth time after 2012, 2016, and 2021, themed Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. The ten-member BRICS+ agenda prioritises reforming global governance, promoting multipolarity, and strengthening South-South cooperation amid trade frictions and geopolitical tensions, reflecting the people-centric approach articulated at the 2025 Rio Summit.
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SolveTap an option below. Correct or incorrect feedback appears instantly.
Which statement is correct about Brazil handing over the BRICS presidency to India for 2026?
The official BRICS Brazil site reported that at the 4th BRICS Sherpas Meeting, Brazil handed over the BRICS presidency to India through a ceremonial gavel transfer. India was to assume the rotating BRICS presidency for 2026, so option A is correct.
Frequently asked questions
When did India assume the BRICS Presidency 2026 and what is the theme?
India formally assumed the BRICS Presidency for 2026 when Brazil handed over the gavel at the 4th BRICS Sherpas Meeting concluded on December 12, 2025. India's theme for its presidency is 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' — where the initial letters of the four pillars spell BRICS.
How many times has India held the BRICS Chairship and in which years?
India has held the BRICS Chairship four times: in 2012, 2016, 2021, and now in 2026. The 2021 chairship was particularly notable as India hosted a virtual BRICS Summit under its theme 'BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.'
What is the BRICS+ format and which are the current ten member countries?
BRICS+ refers to the expanded BRICS grouping after the historic enlargement announced at the Johannesburg Summit in 2023, which took effect from January 2024. The ten full members are: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (the original five), plus Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE. India's 2026 presidency is the first under this full ten-member BRICS+ configuration.
What is a BRICS Sherpa and what role does the Sherpas Meeting play?
A Sherpa is the personal representative of a head of state or government who coordinates a country's position and negotiates text ahead of major summits. The BRICS Sherpas Meeting is a key preparatory forum where member countries' senior officials align priorities, draft declarations, and plan the working group agenda. The 4th Sherpas Meeting of Brazil's presidency (December 12, 2025) was the occasion for the formal handover of the BRICS gavel to India.
What is the significance of the brics2026.gov.in website launched by India?
The dedicated website brics2026.gov.in serves as the official communication platform for India's BRICS presidency, publishing the agenda, priority pillars, working group schedule, and summit-related updates. Launching a dedicated .gov.in domain signals India's institutional seriousness and transparency about its presidency priorities to both BRICS member states and the global audience.
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