The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum under India’s Chairship Begins in New Delhi

1. At a Glance

• 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum convened in New Delhi on 11 June 2026 under India's 2026 BRICS Chairship, hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) [1].
• A sectoral ministerial track of BRICS that deliberates on inclusive, resilient urban futures — touches GS-II (international groupings) and GS-III (urbanisation, infrastructure) [1].
• Examinable for the expanded BRICS membership (post-2024 addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE; Indonesia joined later) and India's host record [1].

2. Why in the News

• Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal formally opened the two-day Forum at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, New Delhi on 11 June 2026 [1].
• It is the flagship urban-sector event of India's BRICS Chairship 2026, preceded by the First BRICS Sherpas Meeting in New Delhi on 9–10 February 2026 [2].

3. Background & Evolution

• BRIC coined 2001 (Goldman Sachs); first BRIC Summit 2009 Yekaterinburg; South Africa joined 2010 → BRICS [3].
• 2024 expansion: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE admitted as full members; Indonesia subsequently joined — reflected in the 2026 Forum's participant list [1].
• BRICS Urbanisation Forum is a recurring ministerial track; India previously hosted editions in New Delhi (2013), Visakhapatnam (2016) and virtually (2021) — 2026 is India's 4th hosting [1].
• Forum announced earlier at the National Urban Conclave 2025, Yashobhoomi, New Delhi [4].

4. Core Static Facts

• Edition: 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum [1].
• Date/Venue: 11–12 June 2026; Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, New Delhi [1].
• Host Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India [1].
• Chair Minister: Shri Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs [1].
• Participating countries (10): Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates [1].
• India's BRICS Chairship year: 2026 [1][2].
• India's previous urbanisation hostings: 2013 (New Delhi), 2016 (Visakhapatnam), 2021 (virtual) [1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Geopolitical / Strategic
• Reinforces India's leadership in a post-expansion BRICS+ bloc spanning four continents [1].

• Demonstrates use of sectoral ministerial tracks (urbanisation, health, finance Sherpas) to operationalise Chairship priorities [1][2].

• Administrative / Governance

• MoHUA placed as nodal ministry — links Forum to domestic missions (Smart Cities, AMRUT, PMAY-U) [1].

• Economic

• BRICS now represents a large share of global urban population growth; Forum positions Indian urban-tech and finance models for export [1][4].

• Environmental

• Theme of "inclusive and resilient urban futures" aligns with climate-resilient cities, SDG-11 [1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 9–10 Feb 2026: First BRICS Sherpas Meeting under India's Chairship, New Delhi [2].
• 2025: National Urban Conclave at Yashobhoomi previewed India's hosting of the BRICS Urban Forum [4].
• 11 Jun 2026: 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum opens, New Delhi [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum was hosted by India in 2026 [1].
• Nodal ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (not MEA) [1].
• Venue: Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, New Delhi [1].
• Inaugurated by Union Minister Manohar Lal [1].
• India's 4th time hosting the BRICS Urbanisation Forum [1].
• Previous Indian editions: 2013 New Delhi, 2016 Visakhapatnam, 2021 virtual [1].
• Participant count in 2026 edition: 10 countries including Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE [1].
• Indonesia participated as a BRICS member at the 2026 Forum [1].
• First BRICS Sherpas Meeting (2026 cycle) held in New Delhi, 9–10 February 2026 [2].
• BRICS founding summit: 2009, Yekaterinburg (Russia); South Africa joined 2010 [3].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Important International Institutions, Groupings & Agreements — "BRICS as a plurilateral forum: relevance after 2024–25 expansion."
• GS-III: Infrastructure / Urbanisation — "Discuss how sectoral cooperation under BRICS (e.g., Urbanisation Forum) complements India's domestic urban missions like AMRUT 2.0 and Smart Cities."
• Possible stems: 1. "BRICS+ enlargement has diluted the bloc's cohesion but expanded India's diplomatic bandwidth." Examine. 2. Evaluate the role of multilateral urbanisation platforms in delivering SDG-11 in the Global South. 3. Discuss India's contribution to BRICS sectoral cooperation during its 2026 Chairship.

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) — financing arm for urban infrastructure.
• AMRUT 2.0 / Smart Cities Mission / PMAY-U 2.0 — domestic counterparts.
• G20 New Delhi Declaration 2023 — comparative chairship outcomes.
• SDG-11 (Sustainable Cities) — global benchmark for urban resilience.
• UN-Habitat & World Urban Forum — parallel UN urban track.
• India–UAE / India–Egypt bilateral ties — post-2024 BRICS partners.
• Indo-Pacific & Global South diplomacy — India's strategic positioning.
• National Urban Conclave 2025 — domestic policy pipeline feeding BRICS agenda.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Confusing nodal ministry as MEA — actual host is MoHUA; MEA only handles Sherpas track [1][2].
• Counting India's hosting as 3rd — it is the 4th edition India hosts [1].
• Treating Argentina/Saudi Arabia as BRICS members — Argentina declined; Saudi's status remains undecided; not in 2026 Forum list [1].
• Misdating BRICS founding as 2006 (foreign ministers' meet) — formal summit is 2009 [3].
• Forgetting Indonesia's BRICS accession — listed among 2026 Forum participants [1].