by Our Diplomatic Affairs Editor
India has decided to sideline Sri Lanka from a substantive role at this year’s BRICS summit in New Delhi, scheduled for 12–13 September this weekend, according to reliable diplomatic sources familiar with the matter who requested anonymity.
The sources said Sri Lanka has not been given a significant role in the summit being hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is leading BRICS as India’s chair for 2026. Instead, a small Sri Lankan diplomatic team has been invited to attend the event, but without any indication of a major contribution to the summit’s proceedings.
The decision is particularly significant because Sri Lanka has been seeking a place within BRICS and has been waiting for its application to be considered. According to the sources, Colombo’s effort to become part of the grouping has remained pending, while its request was not taken forward last year.
The development also marks a notable contrast with Sri Lanka’s participation in the previous BRICS summit hosted by Russia. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan. Dissanayake did not attend because of Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election period, although the country was represented at the official level.
Sri Lanka subsequently continued its efforts to secure BRICS membership. Its application was formally submitted in October 2024, with the government seeking support from BRICS member states. The issue, however, has remained unresolved, leaving Colombo outside the expanded group as BRICS has moved ahead with its new arrangements for partner countries.
The sources said the limited invitation extended to Sri Lanka for the New Delhi gathering should therefore not be interpreted as evidence of substantive progress on its membership ambitions. Rather, they described it as an opportunity for a small diplomatic representation to be present at the event, without a prominent political or policy role.
The reported decision comes as India prepares to host the 2026 BRICS summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under the theme “Building for resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability”. The summit is expected to bring together BRICS members and partner countries, giving the host country considerable influence over the diplomatic agenda and the participation of countries seeking closer engagement with the grouping.
For Sri Lanka, the issue goes beyond attendance at a single summit. Its unresolved application reflects the uncertainty surrounding its efforts to establish a formal place within an increasingly important grouping of emerging economies and developing states.
The diplomatic sources said India’s decision to limit Sri Lanka’s role this time should be viewed against that unresolved membership process. While Colombo will have a presence at the summit through its diplomatic representatives, the sources said there is no indication that Sri Lanka has been given a role comparable to countries whose participation has been formally incorporated into the BRICS framework.
