Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrives in India for 18th BRICS Summit

El-Sisi was received at the airport by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth.

The arrival of the Egyptian President comes as several key leaders and dignitaries reach the national capital for the summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have also arrived in India for the BRICS Summit, while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also in New Delhi for the summit.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. India's Chairship is guided by the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus.

BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The grouping currently comprises 11 countries, i.e. Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

Collectively, the BRICS members account for around 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade, according to background information on India's 2026 Chairship.

India's BRICS Chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures.

The expanded grouping provides a platform for cooperation on development, climate action, technology, energy and financial resilience, while also contributing to discussions on reforms in global institutions.

For India, the 2026 Chairship is focused on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, while building consensus among its diverse members and strengthening the effectiveness of existing mechanisms. (ANI)