Srinagar, Sept. 16 -- Sheikh Nazir Mehdi

The 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026, has given fresh importance to a grouping that has grown far beyond its original identity. Under India's fourth chairship, leaders from 11 member countries and 10 partner nations came together at a time when the world is passing through deep geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and rapid technological change.BRICS began in 2001 as the term BRIC, coined by economist Jim O'Neill to describe Brazil, Russia, India and China. What started as an economic description soon became a political platform. The first summit was held in 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and South Africa joined the following year, giving the grouping its pre...