BRICS summit highlights cooperation, planting ceremony, gala dinner

The inaugural day of the summit saw heads of the BRICS countries welcome an extended group of leaders to the India Pavilion. Apart from the family photo, the agenda featured a joint tree‑planting activity and a visit to the "India Innovates" Expo.

In the evening, Prime Minister Modi hosted a gala dinner in honour of the delegates, reinforcing the message of strategic partnership and inclusive growth. The session also underscored three pillars of cooperation – political‑security, economic‑financial and cultural‑people‑to‑people – that the membership pledged to deepen over the next two decades.