India is set to host the BRICS Summit in 2026, and diplomatic signals suggest Chinese President Xi Jinping may attend — his first visit to India since 2019. The two countries have been working to normalise ties after the Galwan Valley clash of 2020, which froze high-level engagement. A confirmed visit would mark a significant diplomatic reset, building on the October 2024 disengagement agreement along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.

BRICS — originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa — has evolved from an economic grouping into a significant geopolitical forum. Established as a formal summit mechanism in 2009 (Yekaterinburg), it expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, making it a 10-member bloc representing over 40% of the world population and roughly 30% of global GDP.

India chairs BRICS in 2026, giving New Delhi both agenda-setting power and a high-visibility diplomatic platform. The prospect of Xi Jinping attending is significant because India-China relations have been structurally strained since the June 2020 Galwan clash that killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unconfirmed number of Chinese troops. The October 2024 disengagement deal at Depsang and Demchok was the first concrete step toward normalisation.

For UPSC, the key static hinterland includes: BRICS founding history, its New Development Bank (NDB, headquartered in Shanghai, founded 2014), the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), India's role in shaping the BRICS agenda, and the broader context of India's 'multi-alignment' foreign policy — engaging both Western partners (Quad, G7 outreach) and Global South groupings (BRICS, SCO) simultaneously. A Xi visit would also test India's ability to compartmentalise border disputes from economic and multilateral engagement.