India has assumed the BRICS Presidency of 2026. India’s Presidency is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting a ‘people-centric’ and ‘humanity first’ approach. Youth cooperation stands as one of the key pillars of the BRICS framework. To further this vision, the Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, will host the BRICS Youth Council Meeting and the BRICS Youth Summit on 19 – 20 August 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and the BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting on 22 August 2026 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Throughout its BRICS Chairship, India has placed ‘Yuva Shakti’ – the collective energy, ideas and enterprise of young people – at the centre of its youth agenda, recognising young people as important contributors to innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. The August engagements build on a series of key events during India’s BRICS Chairship:

1. BRICS Youth Coordination Meeting: Held virtually on 25 March 2026, the meeting launched the BRICS Youth Calendar of Activities and established the roadmap for cooperation during India’s Chairship.
2. Serve BRICS: Volunteering for a Better Tomorrow: The virtual Serve BRICS event positioned volunteerism as a shared commitment and a transformative force across BRICS nations. During this meeting, India committed to accomplish 1 million hours of volunteerism during the period of 29 April 2026 to 31 July 2026. The initiative mobilised young people across India through the MY Bharat platform towards volunteer service, reflecting the spirit of collective action and social responsibility.
3. BRICS Youth Entrepreneurship Working Group Meeting: Held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on 20-21 May 2026, the meeting brought together young entrepreneurs from BRICS countries to promote collaboration in innovation and entrepreneurship.
4. BRICS Youth Thematic Session: Held virtually on 24 June 2026, the session advanced discussions on key priority areas of youth cooperation, including Education, Entrepreneurship & Future Readiness; Inclusive Development & Youth Wellbeing; Sustainability & Environmental Responsibility and People-to-People Cooperation & Youth Engagement.

This sustained engagement now comes together at the BRICS Youth Council Meeting, which will bring together official representatives of BRICS Member Countries to advance institutional dialogue, build consensus on the BRICS Youth Joint Statement and the BRICS Youth Cooperation Framework and identify collaborative initiatives for sustained youth cooperation.

The BRICS Youth Summit, being held alongside the Youth Council Meeting, will bring together young leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, volunteers and changemakers from BRICS Member and Partner Countries. Through thematic discussions, interactive sessions and networking opportunities, the Summit will provide a platform for young people to exchange ideas, showcase solutions and develop recommendations for consideration within the broader BRICS process.

The BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting will bring together Youth Ministers and Heads of Delegation from BRICS Members to discuss key youth development priorities, review the outcomes of the BRICS Youth Council Meeting and BRICS Youth Summit, and adopt the Joint Ministerial Statement on Youth Cooperation.

India’s BRICS Youth engagements reflect the country’s commitment to strengthening youth partnerships, promoting innovation, encouraging inclusive growth, and creating stronger people-to-people connections across BRICS nations.

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Pawan Singh Faujdar

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