India is set to host the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026. This is the fourth time India will be hosting the summit of BRICS, which has expanded to include eleven members, accounting for 40 per cent of global GDP and half of the world’s population. In this wide-ranging interview with Manish Chand, CEO, Centre for Global India Insights and India Writes Network, Prof. Anil Sooklal, South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, shares his high expectations from the New Delhi summit and underlines the importance of India’s chairship for promoting the leadership of the Global South. In this conversation, Professor Sooklal shares his views about the summit agenda, prospects of expansion of BRICS, financial cooperation, global governance reform, and the future direction of the expanded BRICS grouping. (Excerpts from the interview)