India hosted the 16th BRICS National Security Advisers’ (NSAs’) Meeting in New Delhi on 22–23 June 2026. Chaired by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, the gathering brought together security chiefs and heads of delegation from all eleven BRICS member states: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
Delegates exchanged views on “Non-traditional security challenges confronting the world today.” Discussions covered the rapidly evolving nature of national security challenges and the role of new technologies in emerging security threats, including cybersecurity, digital vulnerabilities, and artificial intelligence-driven threats.
The NSAs and heads of delegation also reviewed the outcomes of the recently held BRICS Joint Working Groups on Counter-Terrorism and on Security in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies.
This meeting took place as India held the BRICS Chairship for the fourth time in 2026, having previously done so in 2012, 2016, and 2021. India’s Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit.
The BRICS 2026 agenda has expanded significantly beyond its original focus on economic issues and is now structured around three core pillars: political and security affairs, economy and finance, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Bilateral Engagements on the Sidelines
On the margins of the main session, NSA Doval held a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts and senior security officials from fellow BRICS member states. He met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. According to the MEA, both sides reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations and noted progress towards gradual normalisation. NSA Doval emphasised that stable, predictable, and constructive bilateral relations contribute to building trust and better understanding between the two sides. The discussions were described as “constructive and forward-looking.”
Doval also met Iran’s Deputy Secretary for Defence Affairs of the Supreme National Security Council, Ghadir Nezamipour. Both sides reviewed the ongoing situation in West Asia and discussed cooperation under the BRICS platform, alongside India-Iran bilateral ties. With Brazil, NSA Doval met Secretary of Multilateral and Political Affairs Carlos Cozendey; both sides welcomed cooperation under the BRICS framework while reviewing the overall state of India-Brazil relations.
Meetings were also held with South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, focusing on bilateral ties and specific areas of developmental cooperation, and with Million Lema Tadesse, Executive Director of Analysis at Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service, where both sides explored avenues to enhance and deepen the India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership.
