Why in News?
India hosted the Eighth BRICS Youth Energy Summit 2026 virtually on 17 August 2026 under its BRICS Chairship. The summit focused on increasing youth participation in energy cooperation and promoting secure, affordable, inclusive and sustainable energy.
Key Highlights
- More than 100 participants from BRICS countries took part in the summit, including young energy professionals, researchers, government officials and representatives of energy ministries.
- Representatives of the BRICS Youth Energy Agency (BRICS YEA), International Solar Alliance (ISA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) also participated.
- India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026 is based on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS)”.
- The theme for the Energy Track is “सर्वेषां ऊर्जम्” (Energy for All).
Three Priority Areas
The summit focused on three major areas:
- Energy Security and Sustainability
- Energy Access and Equity
- Technology and Innovation
More than 20 youth panelists shared their experiences on energy security, clean energy, financing, emerging technologies and digitalisation of energy systems.
India’s Initiatives Highlighted
Indian representatives discussed several initiatives related to energy security and clean energy, including:
- PM-KUSUM
- PM Surya Ghar
- SHANTI Act
- Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS)
- India Energy Stack (IES)
India also highlighted the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE) on Smart Grids and Energy Storage, which promotes cooperation and capacity building in smart grids, energy storage and grid resilience.
Significance
The summit aims to strengthen cooperation among young professionals, academia, governments and industry across BRICS countries. It also encourages joint research, technology demonstrations, knowledge sharing and capacity building for a resilient and sustainable energy sector.