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BRICS Summit History: Before the 18th summit, know how BRICS was formed, who named it and where have the 17 summits been held so far.

Samira Vishwas | September 11, 2026 4:24 PM CST

Business Desk – BRICS Summit History: The 18th BRICS Summit will be organized in India on 12 and 13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Bharat Mandapam is ready for the summit. It will include prominent leaders and representatives of BRICS member countries including India.

BRICS is today a group of major emerging and developing countries of the world. But it started with only four countries. After all, when was BRICS formed, who named it and how many conferences have been held till now and where? Let us know.

What is BRICS and how many countries are there in it?

BRICS was initially a group of four countries. This included Brazil, Russia, India and China. The name BRIC was formed from the first letters of the names of these four countries. Now BRICS includes 11 countries. These include India, Russia, Brazil, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates. The group provides a platform to member countries on issues to global politics and development along with economic and financial matters.

How did BRICS start?

BRICS did not begin with a single day or a single conference. In 1998, Russia's then Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov had put forward the idea of creating a comprehensive global forum with India and China.

After this the name BRIC came into existence in 2001. Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC for the group of fast-growing economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

In the year 2006, an informal meeting of the foreign ministers of these four countries was held. This was followed by the first BRIC summit on 16 June 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

How did BRIC become BRICS?

South Africa was admitted to the group in December 2010. After this the name of BRIC was changed to BRICS. With this the group increased from four countries to five countries. After this the process of expansion of BRICS progressed. In 2024, the group expanded significantly and countries like Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined it. Indonesia later became a member of the group.

Where have BRICS summits been held till now?

The first BRICS summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2009. After this, summits were held every year in different member countries.

2009 – Russia: The first BRIC summit takes place in Yekaterinburg.
2010 – Brazil: The second conference took place in Brasília.
2011 – China: The third conference was held in Sanya.
2012 – India: The fourth conference was held in New Delhi. This was the first BRICS Summit held in India.
2013 – South Africa: The fifth conference took place in Durban.
2014 – Brazil: The sixth conference was held in Fortaleza.
2015 – Russia: The seventh conference took place in Ufa.
2016 – India: The eighth conference was held in Goa.
2017 – China: The ninth conference took place in Xiamen.
2018 – South Africa: The tenth conference took place in Johannesburg.
2019 – Brazil: The 11th conference was held in Brasília.
2020 – Russia: Due to the Corona epidemic, the 12th conference was held virtually.
2021 – India: Due to Covid-19, the 13th conference was also held virtually.
2022 – China: The 14th conference also took place virtually during the Corona pandemic.
2023 – South Africa: 15th conference held in Johannesburg.
2024 – Russia: 16th conference held in Kazan.
2025 – Brazil: 17th conference held in Rio de Janeiro.

How many times has the BRICS conference been held in India so far?

The BRICS summit has been held thrice so far in India. It was hosted for the first time in New Delhi in 2012, for the second time in Goa in 2016 and for the third time in 2021, India hosted it. However, the 2021 conference was held virtually due to the Corona pandemic. Now in 2026, India is hosting the BRICS summit for the fourth time.

When and where will the 18th BRICS Summit be held?

The 18th BRICS Summit will be held on 12 and 13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. This will be the fourth BRICS summit to be hosted by India.

In this conference, economic cooperation, global politics, development and other important international issues are expected to be discussed among the member countries. The whole world will keep an eye on this conference to be held in the capital of India.