NEW DELHI GTNS, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026— The arrival of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Zou Jiayi for the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi has added a significant development-finance dimension to India’s 2026 BRICS chairship.
Zou’s participation comes as BRICS places increasing emphasis on sustainable development, infrastructure, innovation and stronger economic cooperation among emerging economies. Her presence is expected to reinforce discussions on how development finance can support long-term growth and infrastructure needs across the Global South.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13 under its fourth BRICS chairship. The Indian presidency is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation positioned among the key priorities.
The participation of the AIIB leadership is particularly relevant as emerging economies seek greater access to financing for infrastructure, sustainable urban development, connectivity, energy transition and climate-resilient projects.
The BRICS grouping has expanded considerably and now comprises 11 members. According to the Indian government, the bloc collectively represents about 49.5 per cent of the world’s population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade.
The New Delhi summit is expected to address a broad range of issues, including economic and financial cooperation, global governance, trade and investment, technology, food and energy security, disaster resilience and critical supply chains.
Against this backdrop, development institutions such as the AIIB can play an important role in converting broad cooperation into investment and infrastructure projects capable of generating long-term economic benefits.
India’s BRICS chairship has already involved more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements across more than 25 cities, covering political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
The summit itself comes at a sensitive moment for the global economy, with geopolitical tensions, disruptions to energy routes and concerns over the resilience of international supply chains creating additional pressure on emerging markets.
Zou’s presence therefore carries significance beyond the summit’s diplomatic agenda. It highlights the growing importance of infrastructure investment and development finance in building resilient economies and expanding opportunities for countries across the Global South.
For India, the engagement also fits into its broader objective of making the 2026 BRICS chairship more practical and development-oriented, with an emphasis on cooperation that can translate into tangible outcomes for emerging economies.
INDIA ; GTNS
SEPTEMBER 10, 2026