The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum opened on 11 June 2026 at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, New Delhi, hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under India's BRICS Chairship for 2026. The two-day forum, themed 'Cities for People: BRICS Cooperation for Inclusive and Resilient Urban Futures,' brought together ministers and urban practitioners from the full, expanded BRICS membership — Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. India is hosting the Urbanisation Forum for the fourth time (after New Delhi 2013, Visakhapatnam 2016 and a virtual edition in 2021).
For CDS and OTA aspirants, the most exam-relevant element is the membership list itself — it confirms the dramatic expansion of BRICS, one of the most tested international-relations developments of the decade.
What Is BRICS — and How It Expanded
BRICS began as "BRIC" — a term coined by economist Jim O'Neill of Goldman Sachs in 2001 to describe the fast-growing emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The grouping became a formal diplomatic bloc with its first summit in 2009 (Yekaterinburg, Russia). South Africa joined in 2010, making it BRICS.
The transformative change came at the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg (2023), which invited six new members. After accessions, the expanded grouping (sometimes called "BRICS+") now includes: - The original five: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa - New members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE — and Indonesia (which formally joined as a full member in January 2025) - (Saudi Arabia was invited and has been participating but its full membership status has been treated as pending/under consideration; Argentina declined to join.)
The forum's attendee list — naming Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE alongside the original five — is effectively the current BRICS membership, a fact worth memorising precisely.
Why expansion matters (the analytical point): - BRICS now represents a large share of the world's population (~45%+), land area and a growing share of global GDP (in PPP terms, BRICS+ exceeds the G7). - It includes major energy producers (Russia, Iran, UAE, Saudi) and major energy consumers (India, China) — giving it weight over global energy markets. - It is increasingly seen as a vehicle for multipolarity — a counterweight to the Western-led G7 and Bretton Woods institutions (IMF, World Bank), and a platform for Global South voices.
BRICS Institutions — The Must-Know List
CDS questions often test the institutions BRICS has built:
| Institution | Detail |
|---|---|
| New Development Bank (NDB) | The "BRICS Bank"; HQ in Shanghai, China; first president was India's K.V. Kamath; current president is Brazil's Dilma Rousseff; funds infrastructure and sustainable development |
| Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) | A USD 100 billion currency-swap framework to provide liquidity support during balance-of-payments crises — a mini-IMF for members |
| BRICS Summit | Annual leaders' summit, chairship rotates yearly |
| Various forums | Including the Urbanisation Forum, Business Council, Think Tank Council, and ministerial tracks |
The New Development Bank (NDB) is especially important — it represents BRICS's attempt to create alternatives to the Western-dominated World Bank and ADB, lending in members' local currencies to reduce dollar dependence.
The Polity: India and the World — International Organisations module covers India's role in multilateral groupings.
India's BRICS Chairship 2026 and the Urban Agenda
Holding the rotating chairship in 2026, India sets the agenda and hosts the ministerial and summit tracks. The Urbanisation Forum is one such track, and India used it to project its own urban development story: inclusive urbanisation, climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure, strong institutions, and digital innovation.
Why urbanisation is a BRICS-level issue: - BRICS nations house some of the world's largest and fastest-growing cities — and most of the world's future urban population growth will happen in the Global South. - Shared challenges: slums and informal settlements, urban flooding and climate vulnerability, mass transit, affordable housing, and municipal finance. - India showcased its programmes — Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, PMAY-Urban, Swachh Bharat — as templates other developing economies can learn from.
The theme 'Cities for People' reflects a human-centric framing: cities designed for liveability and inclusion rather than just economic output — echoing the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and the New Urban Agenda adopted at Habitat III.
BRICS and India's Balancing Act
A nuanced exam-discussion point: India's BRICS membership sits within a multi-alignment foreign policy. India is simultaneously: - A founding BRICS member (with Russia and China) - A member of the Quad (with the US, Japan, Australia — seen as balancing China) - A member of the SCO, G20, and a partner of the West
India uses BRICS to advance Global South interests, reform of global governance (UN Security Council, IMF quota reform), and strategic autonomy — while avoiding letting BRICS become an explicitly anti-Western or China-dominated bloc. India has, for instance, been cautious about proposals for a 'BRICS currency' to challenge the dollar, preferring local-currency trade settlement instead.
This balancing — engaging China and Russia in BRICS while partnering the West in the Quad — is the essence of India's contemporary strategic autonomy and a favourite essay/interview theme.
BRICS vs the G7 and G20 — Placing It Correctly
A common source of confusion that examiners exploit is the difference between the major plurilateral groupings. A crisp mental map:
- G7 (Group of Seven): the advanced Western industrial democracies — the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan (plus the EU). It is a club of rich, developed economies and does not include India or China.
- G20 (Group of Twenty): the premier forum for global economic cooperation, including both developed and major emerging economies — it contains the G7, the BRICS nations, and others, covering ~85% of global GDP. India held the G20 Presidency in 2023 and championed the African Union's inclusion as a permanent member.
- BRICS: a grouping of major emerging economies and Global South powers, positioned as a counterweight to Western dominance and a vehicle for multipolarity.
The key insight: India is a member of the G20 and BRICS but not the G7. India uses BRICS to amplify Global South concerns and push for reform of Western-dominated institutions, while using the G20 as the main stage for global economic agenda-setting. This layered membership is central to India's multi-alignment strategy.
The De-Dollarisation Debate
A frequently discussed BRICS theme is "de-dollarisation" — reducing dependence on the US dollar in international trade and reserves. After Western sanctions on Russia weaponised the dollar and the SWIFT system, BRICS members accelerated discussions on: - Trade settlement in local currencies (e.g., India and Russia trading in rupees and roubles; India paying for some oil in rupees/dirhams). - A possible BRICS payment system and even, controversially, a common BRICS currency or unit of account.
India's position here is cautious and pragmatic. India supports local-currency trade settlement to reduce transaction costs and vulnerability, but has been sceptical of a single BRICS currency, which would require deep political and fiscal integration that diverse members (especially rivals like India and China) are unlikely to accept. India's External Affairs Minister has publicly stated India has "no interest" in undermining the dollar as policy — reflecting India's careful balancing between its BRICS membership and its deep economic ties with the West. This nuance — supporting practical local-currency trade while resisting an anti-dollar bloc — is exactly the kind of calibrated position that makes for strong answers on India's foreign policy.
Rapid Revision Q&A
Q: Who coined the term 'BRIC' and when? → Economist Jim O'Neill of Goldman Sachs, in 2001; South Africa joined in 2010 to make it BRICS
Q: Name the members that joined BRICS in the 2024–25 expansion. → Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia (Indonesia formalised in January 2025)
Q: Where is the New Development Bank headquartered, and who was its first president? → Shanghai, China; first president was India's K.V. Kamath
Q: What is the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)? → A USD 100 billion BRICS currency-swap framework providing liquidity during balance-of-payments stress — a counterpart to the IMF
Q: What is the theme of the 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum? → 'Cities for People: BRICS Cooperation for Inclusive and Resilient Urban Futures', under India's 2026 Chairship
Q: Which SDG most directly relates to urbanisation? → SDG 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities
Q: India is a member of BRICS and the G20 — but is it in the G7? → No. The G7 is a club of advanced Western economies (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan). India is in the G20 and BRICS, not the G7 — reflecting its multi-alignment strategy
Q: What is India's position on a 'BRICS currency'? → India supports local-currency trade settlement to cut costs and vulnerability, but is sceptical of a single BRICS currency and has said it has no policy of undermining the US dollar
Q: How many times has India hosted the BRICS Urbanisation Forum? → Four times — New Delhi (2013), Visakhapatnam (2016), virtually (2021), and New Delhi again (2026)
International groupings like BRICS are guaranteed CDS GK territory — and the membership keeps changing, so currency matters. Build the base with Polity: India and International Organisations, track updates at CDS/OTA Current Affairs, and prepare with Cavalier Defence Academy's upcoming courses.
Source: Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs PIB release, 11 June 2026 (PRID 2271765). BRICS membership and institutional facts cross-verified.