New Delhi [India], September 10 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that it expects around 1,200-1,300 journalists to arrive in the national capital to cover the 18th BRICS Summit, with a sizeable contingent expected from BRICS member, partner and invited countries.
Speaking to ANI about preparations for the upcoming summit, Vasudev Ravi, OSD, Public Relations, MEA, said an International Media Centre is being set up at the Bharat Mandapam Complex, where the summit is set to take place, to facilitate coverage of the high-level gathering.
"As with any Summit, we are organising an International Media Centre within the Bharat Mandapam Complex. We expect somewhere between 1200-1300 journalists to be there in a ratio about 50:50. We expect a large number of journalists from member countries of BRICS and partner & invitee countries to join as well at the International Media Centre," he said.
The expected media turnout reflects the international attention surrounding India's BRICS presidency and the two-day summit, which will bring together heads of state and government from the expanded grouping at Bharat Mandapam.
With journalists expected from both India and overseas, the MEA is planning to use a combination of conventional media outreach and digital platforms to ensure timely dissemination of information during the summit.
Ravi said the BRICS presidency's dedicated social media handles, along with the MEA's established digital presence, would be used extensively to provide updates and information to the media and wider public.
"Our challenge remains to disseminate information to the best of our abilities. So, we would be using traditional means – the press releases and websites. But we will also be extensively using our presence on social media platforms to ensure that we have good coverage that takes place. The BRICS presidency has its own handles on various social media platforms but we will also be using the extensive presence of the MEA on various platforms to put out as much information as we can," he added.
Ravi also outlined the preparations undertaken during India's year-long BRICS chairship, saying that various meetings of joint working groups, anchored by different ministries of the Government of India, were held across the country.
"India has held the BRICS presidency for the last year. We have had various meetings under various joint working groups which are anchored by various Ministries of the Govt of India that have taken place all across the country. The Summit is happening in Delhi on the 12th and 13th. There are a few events that are happening prior to the Summit. All these events are happening in the Bharat Mandapam Complex," he said.
The summit will mark the culmination of India's BRICS presidency, with New Delhi seeking to advance cooperation on trade, digital technology, finance, energy security and global governance reform.
The September 12-13 summit is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation among member countries and advancing a broad development and economic agenda.
Discussions are expected to cover resilient global supply chains, cross-border payment integration, greater use of national currencies, micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) development, digital trade and artificial intelligence.
Energy security, climate resilience, development finance, expansion of the New Development Bank and reforms of multilateral financial and political institutions are also expected to feature prominently.
The summit's agenda broadly spans three pillars – political and security matters, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Leaders are expected to work towards a joint Leaders Declaration, subject to bilateral consensus.
The expanded 11-member BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a full member in 2025.
The wider BRICS framework also includes 10 partner nations -- Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam -- which participate as partner countries while remaining distinct from full members.
Against this backdrop, the International Media Centre at Bharat Mandapam is expected to become a major hub of activity as journalists from across BRICS and partner countries converge in New Delhi to report on the summit and its outcomes.
For the MEA, the task will extend beyond facilitating media access, with the ministry preparing to manage the flow of information across traditional and digital channels for a large international press corps during one of India's most significant diplomatic gatherings of the year. (ANI)
MEA expects 1,200-1,300 journalists for BRICS Summit coverage, says information dissemination key challenge
