12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum 2026: India Hosts in New Delhi

Why in News

India is hosting the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum on 26–27 October 2026 at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi. The event is being held under India's current Chairship of BRICS, and brings together presiding officers, members of parliament, and senior parliamentary officials from BRICS member states and partner countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet the visiting delegations. A total of 21 delegations are participating in this edition.

Background

The BRICS Parliamentary Forum is the legislative dimension of BRICS cooperation. It convenes the parliaments of BRICS countries to strengthen inter-parliamentary dialogue, exchange best practices, and align legislative priorities across member states. The Forum operates as a complement to the Leaders' Summit and Ministerial meetings, providing a democratic-accountability layer to BRICS cooperation.

BRICS — originally an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — has expanded significantly. In January 2024, five new member countries joined: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Additional partner countries have been invited since the Johannesburg 2023 summit. The grouping now represents over 40% of world population and approximately 35–37% of global GDP (purchasing power parity).

Current Developments

The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum is structured around plenary sessions, bilateral meetings, parliamentary exchanges, and a cultural programme. On 25 October 2026, secretaries of the delegations met to finalise the joint statement. Key themes under deliberation include:

• Institutional resilience: Strengthening parliamentary institutions against democratic backsliding and external pressures.
• Ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI): Developing common legislative frameworks for AI governance that balance innovation with accountability, privacy, and human rights.
• Digital transformation: Parliamentary adoption of digital tools for e-legislation, e-petitions, constituency outreach, and legislative tracking.
• Global governance reforms: Reforming the UN Security Council, multilateral financial institutions (World Bank, IMF), and the WTO to better reflect the economic weight of the Global South.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held bilateral talks with the Russian State Duma delegation ahead of the forum's opening. The Chairpersons of international affairs committees of BRICS parliaments are specifically meeting to discuss parliamentary diplomacy and capacity building.

Key Facts

• Venue: Central Hall, Samvidhan Sadan (Parliament of India), New Delhi.
• Dates: 26–27 October 2026.
• India's BRICS Chairship Year: 2026; India assumed BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026.
• Number of delegations: 21.
• Presiding officer: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
• BRICS current membership: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa + Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE (full members since 2024).
• BRICS founding year: 2009 (first formal Leaders' Summit, Yekaterinburg, Russia). The grouping was conceptualised by Jim O'Neill of Goldman Sachs in 2001.
• BRICS New Development Bank (NDB): Headquartered in Shanghai; 7th President is Dilma Rousseff (Brazil). India holds the second-highest shareholding.
• BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA): A $100-billion currency swap arrangement as a buffer against balance-of-payments crises.

Constitutional Provisions

Parliamentary forums and inter-parliamentary delegations operate under the authority vested in Parliament by the Constitution. Key provisions include:

• Article 79: Constitutes Parliament comprising the President, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), and the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
• Article 93 / Article 89: Provides for the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha — who lead India's parliamentary delegations at international forums.
• Article 253: Parliament has the power to make any law for the whole or any part of India for implementing international treaties, agreements, or conventions — providing the constitutional basis for legislating on decisions arising from BRICS forums.

Legal Framework

India's participation in inter-parliamentary forums is facilitated through the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG), constituted under the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, which maintains bilateral and multilateral parliamentary relationships. There is no standalone domestic legislation for BRICS membership, as it is an executive-led multilateral grouping, not a treaty-based international organisation with a charter.

Institutional Framework

• BRICS Parliamentary Forum: Platform for parliamentary exchanges; no permanent secretariat.
• BRICS Leaders' Summit: Apex decision-making body; India hosted in 2021 (virtual) and 2016 (Goa).
• New Development Bank (NDB): Multilateral development bank; headquartered in Shanghai.
• BRICS Business Council: Facilitates business-to-business cooperation.
• BRICS Academic Forum: Promotes research and knowledge exchange.
• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India: Nodal ministry for BRICS relations.
• Lok Sabha Secretariat: Coordinates India's parliamentary delegations to international forums.

Economic Dimensions

BRICS economies collectively account for approximately 35–37% of global GDP (PPP) and over 40% of world trade in goods. Key economic themes of the 2026 Forum include digital trade governance, cross-border fintech regulation, and the role of BRICS in reforming multilateral trade norms under the WTO.

India's economic interest in BRICS centres on: (a) accessing NDB financing for infrastructure; (b) building export markets in BRICS+ countries; (c) promoting the internationalisation of the Indian Rupee for bilateral trade settlements; and (d) influencing global financial governance reforms.

Banking and financial angle: BRICS has been deliberating de-dollarisation and the use of local currencies for intra-BRICS trade. India has agreed on Rupee-settlement mechanisms with UAE, Russia, and several other BRICS members, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issuing operational guidelines for Rupee Vostro Accounts for trade settlement.

Social Dimensions

The Forum's theme of ethical AI and digital transformation carries significant social-equity implications. Parliamentarians from the Global South have emphasized the importance of ensuring that AI adoption does not deepen the digital divide between developed and developing nations. India has advocated for inclusive AI governance frameworks under both BRICS and the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI).

International Relations

India hosting BRICS in 2026 reflects its strategic ambition to lead the Global South narrative while maintaining its Strategic Autonomy — independent foreign policy positioning that does not fully align with either the Western bloc or China/Russia. Key IR angles:

• India–China relations: Both are members of BRICS, and the Forum provides a diplomatic back-channel even when bilateral ties are strained (e.g., post-Galwan 2020).
• India–Russia relations: Deepened through BRICS, particularly on defence procurement, energy, and trade settlement (Rupee-Rouble).
• BRICS vs G7: BRICS now surpasses G7 in GDP-PPP terms, signalling a tectonic shift in global economic power.
• Global governance reforms: BRICS has consistently advocated for permanent African Union membership in the G20, reform of the UN Security Council, and greater voice for developing nations in the IMF and World Bank.
• BRICS and South-South Cooperation: The expansion of BRICS to include African and Middle Eastern nations deepens India's diplomatic reach into regions critical for its energy security and diaspora interests.

Challenges

• Internal divergences: The grouping lacks a unified foreign policy — India and China have competing interests in several multilateral forums and in the Indo-Pacific.
• De-dollarisation vs monetary stability: Rapid shift away from the US Dollar risks volatility in BRICS member currencies.
• Expansion management: Integrating new and diverse member economies with varying geopolitical alignments complicates consensus-building.
• NDB underperformance: The NDB is yet to scale lending to meet the infrastructure deficit of its member countries.
• Ethical AI governance gaps: No binding international AI treaty exists; BRICS declarations on AI remain aspirational.

Government Initiatives

• India's BRICS Chairship theme for 2026: "BRICS — Shaping a Shared Future for a Better World" (aligned with India's G20 2023 theme "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam").
• India has hosted over 100 BRICS meetings across multiple tracks (Sherpa, Finance, Foreign Ministers, sectoral ministerials) during its Chairship year.
• Under India's Chairship, BRICS launched an AI Governance Task Force and a Cybersecurity Working Group.

Way Forward

The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission and foreign policy think tanks including ORF and IDSA have recommended that India deepen its "Act East, Act West, Act South" foreign policy engagement through multilateral forums like BRICS. Recommendations include:

• Formalising a permanent BRICS Parliamentary Secretariat to give the Forum institutional continuity beyond annual rotational chairships.
• India should champion a BRICS Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Initiative — leveraging its UPI, DigiLocker, and ONDC successes as blueprints for BRICS member nations.
• The NDB's lending pipeline should be aligned with Agenda 2030 (SDGs), with India pushing for climate-adaptation financing as a priority window.
• Parliamentary oversight mechanisms for AI regulation should be established, building on the EU AI Act framework while adapting it to developing-country contexts.

Possible Mains Questions

1. "BRICS has evolved from an economic grouping to a geopolitical caucus." Critically examine this statement in light of BRICS' recent expansion and the themes of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum. (GS-II, 250 words)
2. What is the significance of India hosting the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in 2026? How does parliamentary diplomacy complement summit-level BRICS engagement? (GS-II, 150 words)

Possible Prelims MCQs

1. Q: The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (2026) was held in which city?
   A: New Delhi. The Forum was held at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on 26–27 October 2026.
2. Q: Which of the following correctly lists the NEW member countries that joined BRICS in 2024?
   A: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE.
3. Q: The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered at:
   A: Shanghai, China.
4. Q: Under which Article of the Constitution does Parliament have the power to legislate for implementing international treaties?
   A: Article 253.
5. Q: What is the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)?
   A: A $100-billion currency swap arrangement to provide balance-of-payments support to BRICS members.

Essay Dimensions

1. The rise of the Global South and the relevance of BRICS in a multipolar world.
2. Parliamentary diplomacy as an instrument of India's soft power.
3. Artificial intelligence governance: the imperative for inclusive international frameworks.
4. De-dollarisation: opportunity or risk for emerging economies?
5. India's Strategic Autonomy in an era of bloc politics.

Interview Questions

1. How does India balance its BRICS commitments with its Quad and I2U2 group memberships?
2. What concrete deliverables has India achieved from BRICS since 2014?
3. Should India support BRICS de-dollarisation initiatives? What are the risks?
4. How can the BRICS Parliamentary Forum be made more effective as a legislative body?
5. What is India's vision for BRICS expansion beyond its current membership?

FAQ

Q: What is the BRICS Parliamentary Forum?

A: It is an annual inter-parliamentary dialogue platform of BRICS nations where presiding officers, committee chairs, and parliamentarians meet to exchange best practices, align legislative priorities, and issue joint statements on global issues.

Q: How many members does BRICS have in 2026?

A: BRICS has 10 full members — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Several nations hold partner-country status.

Q: What is India's BRICS Chairship theme for 2026?

A: "BRICS — Shaping a Shared Future for a Better World."

Further Reading

• PIB: India hosts 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum — pib.gov.in
• NDB official website: ndb.int
• MEA BRICS page: mea.gov.in