**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Culture has announced that India will host the 2nd BRICS Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting in Varanasi on June 4–5, 2026. This meeting is part of India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship and focuses on the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." Key objectives include advancing multilateral dialogue on the creative economy, cultural heritage protection, and sustainable development.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Thematic Priorities for 2026**
* **Creative Economy and Technology:** Focusing on cultural and creative industries, copyright, and the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence.
* **Heritage Preservation:** Emphasizing the protection of cultural heritage and the cooperation required for the return of cultural property.
* **Sustainability:** Exploring the intersection of culture, climate action, and the global post-2030 sustainable development agenda.
**India’s Leadership and Mandate**
* **Strategic Role:** India holds the BRICS Chairship for 2026, building on its previous hosting of culture ministers in 2016 (Goa) and 2021 (New Delhi).
* **Regulatory Framework:** The CWG operates under the 2015 Agreement between BRICS Member States on Cooperation in the Field of Culture, covering archives, museums, films, and digital ecosystems.
**2026 BRICS Culture Track Schedule**
* **April 29–30:** 1st BRICS Culture Working Group Meeting (Virtual Mode).
* **June 4–5:** 2nd BRICS Culture Working Group Meeting (Varanasi).
* **August 5–6:** 3rd BRICS Culture Working Group Meeting (Bhopal).
* **August 6–7:** BRICS Cultural Festival (Bhopal).
* **August 7–8:** BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting (Bhopal).
* **October 12–14:** BRICS Theatre Festival (New Delhi).
**Impact Analysis**
**BRICS Member States (including new members and partners)**
**Impact**
Member nations, including recent additions like Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Indonesia, are provided a platform for multilateral cooperation on security, economic, and cultural pillars.
**Action Required**
Representatives must participate in the scheduled 2026 meetings and festivals to advance the "post-2030 sustainable development agenda."
**Indian Ministry of Culture**
**Impact**
As the host and chair, the Ministry is responsible for providing strategic leadership and facilitating structured dialogues across multiple Indian cities.
**Action Required**
The Ministry must organize and execute the logistics for virtual and physical meetings in Varanasi, Bhopal, and New Delhi throughout the 2026 calendar year.
**Cultural and Creative Industries**
**Impact**
These sectors are affected by proposed discussions regarding copyright, the impact of Artificial Intelligence, and the promotion of the creative economy.
**Action Required**
Stakeholders within these industries should prepare for potential changes in policy or cooperative frameworks emerging from the thematic priorities of the CWG.
Key Entities Referenced
BRICS Culture Working Group (CWG): A multilateral body that facilitates structured dialogue and cooperation among BRICS nations on cultural heritage, creative industries, and sustainable development.
Ministry of Culture: The primary nodal ministry in India responsible for hosting and providing strategic leadership for the BRICS Culture Track meetings during India's 2026 Chairship.
Agreement between the Governments of the BRICS Member States on Cooperation in the Field of Culture: A 2015 international agreement that provides the formal mandate and scope for cooperation within the BRICS Culture Working Group.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: The primary host city for the second BRICS Culture Working Group Meeting focusing on creative economy and heritage protection.
BRICS: An intergovernmental organization comprising major emerging economies that serves as the platform for the cultural cooperation initiatives described in the policy document.
Ministry of Culture
India to Host Second BRICS Culture Working
Group Meeting in Varanasi on June 4-5, 2026
Three Priority Areas: Creative Economy & AI, Heritage
Protection, Culture & Sustainable Development
Posted On: 01 JUN 2026 6:33PM by PIB Delhi
Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, today announced that the 2nd BRICS Culture
Working Group (CWG) Meeting will be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on 4th - 5th June 2026. The
announcement was made at a press conference held in New Delhi, which was also attended by Dr.
Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA; Smt. Amita Prasad Sarabhai, Additional Secretary; Dr.
Arvind Kumar, Joint Secretary; and other senior officers of the Ministry. The two-day meeting, scheduled
for 4-5 June 2026, will facilitate structured multilateral dialogue on cultural cooperation in keeping with
India's BRICS 2026 theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
Priority Areas for Discussion
The 2026 BRICS Culture Working Group deliberations are structured around three major thematic
priorities:
1. Creative Economy, Cultural and Creative Industries, Copyright and Artificial Intelligence
2. Cultural Heritage Protection and Return of Cultural Property
3. Culture, Climate and Sustainable DevelopmentThese priorities reflect a commitment to innovation, ensuring the ethical use of technology in cultural
domains, preserving cultural diversity, advancing heritage conservation and restitution cooperation, and
engaging with the global post-2030 sustainable development agenda.
India's Role in BRICS Cultural Cooperation
India has consistently played an active role in advancing cultural cooperation within BRICS. The
Ministry of Culture hosted BRICS Meetings of Ministers of Culture under India's presidencies in Goa in
2016 and New Delhi in 2021, and continues to provide strategic leadership during its 2026 Chairship.
The BRICS Culture Working Group, which draws its mandate from the Agreement between the
Governments of the BRICS Member States on Cooperation in the Field of Culture signed in 2015, has
over the years expanded cooperation across cultural heritage, creative industries, films, museums,
archives, and digital cultural ecosystems.
BRICS Culture Track 2026 - Schedule of Meetings
Date Meeting / Programme Venue
29th - 30th April, 2026 1st BRICS Culture Working Group Virtual Mode
Meeting
4th - 5th June, 2026 2nd BRICS Culture Working Group Varanasi, India
Meeting
5th - 6th August, 2026 3rd BRICS Culture Working Group Bhopal, India
Meeting
6th - 7th August, 2026 BRICS Cultural Festival Bhopal, India
7th - 8th August, 2026 BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting Bhopal, India
12th - 14th October, 2026 BRICS Theatre Festival New Delhi, IndiaAbout BRICS
BRICS brings together Brasil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia as full members, with 10 Partner Countries joining in 2025. The
grouping represents a platform for multilateral cooperation across political and security, economic and
financial, and cultural and people-to-people pillars, collectively advancing a more inclusive and equitable
international order.
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M Annadurai
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