India hosted the 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum in New Delhi on June 11–12, 2026, under its 2026 BRICS Chairship. Organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the forum brought together ministers and experts from the 11-member BRICS bloc. The theme, “Cities for People: BRICS Cooperation for Inclusive and Resilient Urban Futures,” focused on centering town planning around local populations.
Key Themes and Strategic Objectives
- Inclusive Urban Expansion: Addressing affordable housing and multi-modal transport for migrating populations.
- Climate Resilience: Mitigating urban flooding and heat islands through improved drainage and building regulations.
- Governance & Digitalization: Enhancing fiscal autonomy for municipal bodies and deploying GIS and smart grids for efficient service delivery.
- Policy Synchronization: The summit facilitated ministerial declarations and bilateral technical exchanges on mixed-land use and green building codes.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- BRICS Composition: The bloc now comprises 11 members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
- Chairship Theme: India’s 2026 theme is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” (Humanity First).
- Institutional Framework: The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) serves as the primary research body guiding these policies.
- Constitutional Basis: In India, urban governance is mandated by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (1992), which added the 12th Schedule to the Constitution, empowering Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with 18 functional areas.
- Urban Scale: BRICS represents over 45% of the global population, which is critical as 68% of the world is projected to be urbanized by 2050.