As India prepares to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, culture has emerged as one of the quieter but most powerful threads running through the proceedings. The summit’s official media kit moves beyond policy briefings to spotlight India’s culinary and craft traditions — from Bihar’s humble sattu to the coffee grown in Odisha’s Koraput hills and the handwoven textiles of Gujarat.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has framed cultural and people-to-people exchange as one of BRICS’s three foundational pillars, alongside political-security and economic cooperation. That vision has already played out on the ground: in February, the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Textiles hosted a cultural evening at the National Crafts Museum for visiting BRICS Sherpas, showcasing Indian art, music, and cuisine to delegates from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa and partner nations.
From Sattu to Soft Power: India’s Flavour Diplomacy
Officials at the Ministry of External Affairs describe the initiative as an attempt to tell the “India Story” beyond diplomatic corridors — using food, craft and local produce as informal ambassadors. Unlike the elaborate murals and billboards that marked Delhi’s G20 moment three years ago, this summit has taken a more understated approach, with cultural messaging embedded in briefing material rather than citywide spectacle.
Plates, patterns and people — officials are betting culture leaves as lasting an impression as any declaration signed at Bharat Mandapam.
Jan Bhagidari: Diplomacy of the People, by the People
India’s year-long chairship has also placed emphasis on “Jan Bhagidari,” or people’s participation, running alongside a formal agenda spanning trade, technology, agriculture and sustainability across more than 350 meetings held nationwide over the past year.
Culture as the Quiet Closer
As world leaders including Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin converge on the capital, officials are betting that this softer cultural diplomacy leaves as lasting an impression as any formal declaration signed at Bharat Mandapam.
#BRICS2026 #BRICS #BRICSIndia2026 #India #GlobalSouth #Geopolitics #GlobalDiplomacy #InternationalRelations #StrategicAutonomy #WorldOrder #MultipolarWorld #Diplomacy #IndiaGlobal #EmergingWorldOrder #GlobalLeadership #NewWorldOrder #InternationalAffairs #BRICSSummit #IndiaBRICSChairship #BharatMandapam
