The New Delhi Declaration establishes the BRICS agenda beyond the 2026 India presidency, with particularly significant areas of cooperation around SMEs, AI, the digital economy, trade, supply chains, industrial cooperation and finance. Most importantly for 2027 planning, the declaration formally confirms China as the next BRICS chair and host of the 19th BRICS Summit in 2027. The summit’s exact city and dates are not specified in the declaration.
BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th BRICS Summit held in India on September 12–13, setting out an extensive agenda covering global governance reform, trade and finance, artificial intelligence, industrial cooperation, supply-chain resilience, energy, health, agriculture and stronger engagement with the Global South. The declaration also reinforces cooperation among SMEs and advances work on cross-border payments, local-currency settlement, trade finance and global value chains.
For business and technology, several initiatives stand out. BRICS backed deeper SME internationalization, development of resilient supply chains, digital and AI cooperation, smart manufacturing, special economic zones and improved access to trade finance. The declaration also advances work on a BRICS Grain Exchange, a potential BRICS Startup Innovation Fund, industrial-capacity cooperation and mechanisms designed to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper and more accessible.
The declaration ends with an important transition for the organization: BRICS leaders formally expressed their full support for China assuming the BRICS presidency in 2027 and hosting the 19th BRICS Summit in China. The declaration therefore provides an important early planning signal for organizations and businesses seeking engagement with the BRICS agenda in China next year.