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International Relations GS 2 In the news 3 times

BRICS and India's 2026 Chairship

BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies whose Trade Ministers' Meeting provided the venue for the India-South Africa bilateral engagement. India holds the rotating BRICS chairmanship for the calendar year 2026, having assumed it from Brazil on 1 January 2026, and is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit.

Key details
  • BRICS originated as "BRIC" (2009: Brazil, Russia, India, China); South Africa joined in 2010, forming BRICS
  • Expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, taking membership to 10 countries
  • Chairmanship rotates annually, broadly following the acronym's alphabetical order; India's 2026 chairship theme centres on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability
  • South Africa is a founding BRICS member (joined 2010) and also anchors the SACU customs union
In the news

Tracked since August 10, 2026 · last seen September 01, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

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