New Delhi: India assumed the BRICS Chairship for the fourth time in 2026. BRICS Agenda is structured around three core pillars: political and security; economy and finance; and culture and People-to-People (P2P) exchanges. In the present conflict-ridden world, culture and P2P exchanges have the potential to foster mutual understanding and strengthen trust among people and countries.
People-to-people exchanges have always remained an essential component of BRICS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned during last year’s BRICS Summit that India will advance this forum with a people-centric approach and in the spirit of ‘Humanity First’. Indian chairship’s theme, ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, reflects this vision. While the leaders’ declaration is still some time away, the focus on culture in the BRICS is encouraging.
BRICS countries have rich historical connections. Shared historical experiences can provide a basis for greater cohesion. India, China and Russia, for example, were connected through the ancient Silk Routes, which carried not only goods but also religions, philosophies, knowledge and artistic traditions. Many BRICS countries have experienced colonialism, struggles for independence, economic inequality and the challenges of modernisation. Although their histories are not identical, these experiences have produced important similarities in their aspirations for sovereignty, development and a more representative international order. These historical links across BRICS demonstrate that interaction among these societies is not a new phenomenon. Further, ancient traditions across BRICS countries had family-centered value systems, where there was equality among all human beings. While Government-to-government relations are often influenced by changing geopolitical and economic circumstances, building P2P relations has the potential to create durable bonds.
The rich cultural diversity of BRICS countries offers pathways for resilient societies as indigenous knowledge and traditions in several BRICS countries contain valuable lessons about biodiversity, agriculture, community organisation and sustainable living. Sharing such knowledge and practices can support solutions to contemporary challenges such as climate change, food security and environmental degradation.
This year’s BRICS Civil Forum 2026 brought together nearly 80 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from across BRICS countries, including 26 CSOs from India. In the culture working group, one of the key messages which came out was that the long-term success of BRICS cultural cooperation will ultimately depend on institutional continuity and predictable financing. BRICS should therefore consider establishing a culture fund which can be instrumental in bridging people- to-people ties, through regular programmes and partnerships, moving beyond one-time events.
The other key message which came out of the deliberations was leveraging the emerging technologies like digitisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for preserving both tangible and intangible cultural heritage and inter-generational transmission. Rich cultural diversity of BRICS countries offers pathways for resilient societies as indigenous knowledge and traditions inspire sustainable lifestyles, which are in communion with nature.
Tourism provides a practical avenue for combining cultural cooperation with local economic development. BRICS can explore the development of Cultural Tourism Corridors connecting heritage destinations across member countries. Such corridors would not only foster people-to-people contacts but also generate employment and income for local communities. A BRICS Interactive Heritage Map, combined with Geographical Indicators (GI), digital marketplaces and e-commerce, could help local artists, artisans and cultural entrepreneurs reach wider domestic and international markets while strengthening the visibility and value of community-based cultural products.
Cultural relationships become durable when they are experienced directly by younger generations rather than confined to institutional or diplomatic exchanges. Therefore, under the ICCR framework, India can help in promoting the Annual BRICS Culture Festival, and provide Culture Diplomacy Fellowships to artists, curators and researchers. Regular exchanges, fellowships and collaborative projects could create enduring relationships among young people and transform cultural cooperation from an institutional concept into a lived experience. Women and youth should be placed at the centre of that cultural cooperation.
For a grouping as culturally diverse as BRICS, cooperation does not require uniformity. Its strength lies precisely in recognising and respecting differences while creating spaces for dialogue, exchange and mutual learning. By placing heritage, creativity, communities and young people at the centre of its cultural agenda, BRICS can build durable cultural bridges that complement its economic and political partnerships. A sustained, community-driven and digitally enabled approach to cultural cooperation can strengthen mutual understanding among BRICS societies while contributing to a more inclusive, sustainable and people-centred global future.
Thus, culture should not be treated as a peripheral aspect of BRICS diplomacy. It is a strategic resource capable of fostering mutual respect, strengthening people-to-people ties and creating a shared sense of purpose. The future cohesiveness of BRICS will depend not only on trade, investment and political coordination but also on how effectively its members understand and celebrate one another. Cultural diplomacy can transform BRICS from a partnership of states into a broader partnership of societies, making its cooperation more resilient, inclusive and meaningful.
India is uniquely placed to lead this conversation. As a civilisation home to hundreds of living languages, thousands of dialects, and an extraordinary tapestry of art forms, performance traditions, textile heritages, culinary practices, and spiritual expressions, India has long understood that unity does not require uniformity, that difference and diversity when honoured becomes a source of strength rather than sites of contestation.
Culture is the foundation for resilience, inclusive development, and social cohesion of societies, as it embodies the value system, identity, and ethos of societies. BRICS has long been understood as a bloc of states, however, it is time for it to be understood equally as a bloc of cultures and civilisations.
