Holding the BRICS chair for 2026, India convened the grouping's first Sherpa and Sous-Sherpa Meeting of the year in New Delhi. Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas are the officials who prepare the ground for the bloc's work during a chairship, and this gathering was the opening meeting at that level under India's leadership. India has framed its year at the helm around the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.' Hosting the meeting in the capital marked the formal start of the officials-level process for India's 2026 BRICS chairship.