New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) An ensemble of over 100 artistes drawn largely from India as well as other member countries of BRICS is set to perform at a gala dinner that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host for various world leaders on the opening day of the grouping’s Summit at the Bharat Mandapam here, people familiar with the matter said.
India is hosting the BRICS Summit at the sprawling venue in central Delhi on September 12-13, which will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other heads of state, among other top dignitaries.
“A large group of artistes — classical dancers and musicians, largely from India, as well as musicians from various other member countries of BRICS, will showcase ‘BRICS Symphony’ during the gala dinner that the prime minister will host for the invited leaders on September 1, the day the Summit opens, at the Bharat Mandapam,” a person familiar with the matter told PTI.
The size of the ensemble would be about 160, with Indian dancers and musicians forming the core of the performance troupe, they said.
Indian dancers will perform classical dances such as Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi and Kathak representing different regions of India, while musicians will play traditional instruments of the country, complemented by musicians from some of the other member countries of the grouping according to the plan, one of the persons cited above said.
The show’s duration would be about 20-25 minutes and there will be intermittent vocal renditions, the person added.
The Indian team members of the ensemble have been rehearsing for the performance in the past two days, ahead of the big day. The planned show is being helmed by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the cultural arm of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), they added.
India is a founding member of the BRICS and has previously held its chairship three times — in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The country assumed its fourth BRICS chairship on January 1, and has since then hosted a large number of meetings under various thematic tracks such as finance, environment, diplomacy, law, culture and tourism.
India hosted the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on May 14-15, chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Under the theme ‘Samanvay’, the ICCR had welcomed guests at the BRICS cultural performance and gala dinner hosted by Jaishankar on May 14 at the Bharat Mandapam.
The evening resonated with the melodies of India’s devotional traditions, the grace of Bharatanatyam, and the vibrant energy of folk dances from across India.
BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia joining in 2025.
Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.
It emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.
The year 2026 also marks a milestone as BRICS completes 20 years since its establishment.
Besides, a special mural is also being created at the Bharat Mandapam. The art as well as the musical projects represent the cultural exchange and bonds that exist among BRICS members, with India being the host for the 18th BRICS Summit, the person familiar with the matter added.
“The BRICS Summit 2026, hosted by India, provides an important platform for strengthening cooperation and people-to-people ties among the BRICS nations, including through cultural and artistic exchange. As part of the BRICS Friendship Mural project, artists from across the member countries have come together in India to create a collaborative artwork inspired by the concept of ‘Sangam’ — the confluence of rivers, symbolising the coming together of diverse cultures and traditions,” the ICCR said in a social media post earlier this week.
As part of their cultural experience, the artists visited Agra, where they explored the iconic Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, and went to an embroidery and traditional handicraft centre, witnessing a live demonstration of Zardozi embroidery and traditional craftsmanship, along with an experience of Indian classical music, offering them an enriching glimpse into India’s heritage and living artistic traditions, it said.
In a media statement, the MEA said India’s BRICS chairship is guided by the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, reflecting Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of ‘Humanity First’.
Over the years, BRICS has steadily evolved into a comprehensive framework for cooperation across the three foundational pillars of political and security, economy and finance, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. PTI KND KSS KSS
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