Why in the news
New Delhi hosted security chiefs of all BRICS members for a two-day meeting on 22-23 June 2026. It was run by the Ministry of External Affairs and chaired by NSA Ajit Doval during India’s year as BRICS chair.
Key facts
- Event: 16th BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting.
- Theme: Non-traditional Security Challenges Confronting the World Today.
- Agenda: evolving threats, new technologies and risk, cybersecurity and digital vulnerabilities, AI-driven threats, counter-terrorism, ICT security, climate-linked security, food and energy security.
- Delegates also took stock of recent results from two BRICS Joint Working Groups: one on Counter-Terrorism, the other on ICT security.
- Attendees included Wang Yi (China), Sergey Shoigu (Russia) and Ghadir Nezamipour (Iran).
The 11 members
| Group | Countries and joining point |
|---|
| Original four | Brazil, Russia, India, China |
| 2010 | South Africa (BRIC became BRICS) |
| 1 January 2024 | Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE |
| 2025 | Indonesia (6 January); Saudi Arabia formalised membership |
India’s 2026 Chairship
- Fourth term as chair; theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” (spelling out BRICS).
- Reflects PM Modi’s people-centric, humanity-first vision set out at the 17th Summit in Rio de Janeiro (July 2025).
- Logo: a lotus whose petals carry the colours of all members.
| Year | Chairship | Summit | Venue |
|---|
| 2012 | 1st | 4th | New Delhi |
| 2016 | 2nd | 8th | Goa |
| 2021 | 3rd | 13th | Virtual |
| 2026 | 4th | 18th (12-13 September) | New Delhi |
About BRICS
- Intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies, not treaty-based; works via annual summits, rotating chair and ministerial meetings.
- Three pillars: political and security; economic and financial; cultural and people-to-people.
- Weight in 2025-26: about 40% of global GDP (PPP), 46% of world population and 26% of international trade.
Timeline
- 2001: Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs coined “BRIC”.
- 2006: first foreign ministers’ meeting on UNGA sidelines in New York.
- 2009: first Summit, Yekaterinburg.
- 2011: Sanya Summit, first as BRICS.
- 2023: Johannesburg Summit invited 6 countries.
- 2024: Kazan Summit created the partner-country category.
- 2025: Rio de Janeiro Summit in July.
Exam angle
- Meeting number: 16th; chair: NSA Ajit Doval; organiser: MEA.
- India chairs BRICS in 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2026.
- Term BRIC coined by Jim O’Neill in 2001.