The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum concluded on June 12, 2026, at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration on inclusive, resilient and people-centred urban development. Hosted by India's Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under India's BRICS Chairship in 2026, the two-day forum brought together ministers, senior government officials, and urban practitioners from BRICS member nations to deliberate on the theme 'Cities for People: BRICS Cooperation for Inclusive and Resilient Urban Futures'.
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal inaugurated the forum, highlighting inclusive urban development, climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure, strengthened institutions, and digital innovation as key anchors of India's urban development approach. During the event, he released 'India's Urban Transformation: Stories of Change', a publication presenting select urban practices from India's States and Union Territories across the forum's four priority areas.
The forum featured high-level plenary sessions chaired by the Union Minister, where participating countries shared national experiences and priorities through country statements. Delegations undertook curated field visits to urban interventions in New Delhi, including the New Parliament Complex and the India Gate–Kartavya Path precinct. Bilateral meetings were held on the sidelines between India and Russia, India and Iran, Iran and Russia, Iran and China, and Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
The second day included two high-level panel discussions chaired by Minister of State Shri Tokhan Sahu. The first panel, 'Building Inclusive Pathways for Resilient and Equitable Cities,' moderated by Joint Secretary Roopa Mishra, discussed approaches to ensuring urban growth improves access to housing, mobility, basic services, livelihoods and public spaces for vulnerable communities. The second panel, 'Strengthening Institutions and Scaling Innovations for People-centred Cities,' moderated by Managing Director Shalabh Goel, focused on strengthening urban institutions, building municipal capacity, improving government coordination, and using technology to enhance service delivery.
The Ministerial Declaration adopted during the valedictory session highlights key priorities shared by member nations and reaffirms commitment to advancing people-centred urban development, emphasizing the creation of inclusive, sustainable, resilient and liveable cities that ensure equitable access to urban services for marginalized groups. The forum presented a compilation of good practices titled 'Cities for People: Urban Stories from BRICS Nations'.
Member nations welcomed India's proposal to establish the 'BRICS Urban Research and Knowledge Network' for applied urban research, knowledge sharing, and peer-to-peer learning. The network is designed as a Chairship-led, institutionally connected platform operating through a virtual, low-cost and flexible model, coordinated each year by the lead institution of the BRICS Chair country.
BRICS Sherpa Shri Sudhakar Dalela commended the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on the successful conclusion of the forum. Secretary Shri Srinivas Katikithala presented a summary of the two-day proceedings, highlighting principal themes from country statements, panel discussions, bilateral engagements and deliberations. This was India's fourth time hosting the forum, following previous editions in New Delhi (2013), Visakhapatnam (2016), and virtually (2021).