Youth at the Centre of BRICS Energy Cooperation
India hosted the Eighth BRICS Youth Energy Summit 2026 virtually on 17 August 2026 under its BRICS Chairship. The Summit brought together more than 100 participants, including young energy professionals from academia, government institutions, and the energy ministries of the BRICS Member Countries. Representatives of the BRICS Youth Energy Agency (BRICS YEA), as well as international organizations including Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), also participated in the Summit.
India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026 is guided by the overarching theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS)”. Within the Energy Track, India has adopted the theme “सर्वेषां ऊर्जम्” (Energy for All), reflecting its commitment to advancing universal, affordable and inclusive energy access across BRICS.
The Summit placed youth at the centre of BRICS energy cooperation, recognizing their role as drivers of innovation, entrepreneurship, technological advancement and international cooperation. The discussions also emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration among young professionals, academia, government institutions and industry across BRICS countries.
The deliberations underscored the importance of translating youth engagement into practical outcomes through joint research, technology demonstrations, knowledge exchange and capacity-building initiatives. Under the three priority areas of (i) Energy Security and Sustainability, (ii) Energy Access and Equity, and (iii) Technology and Innovation, more than 20 youth panelists shared country perspectives and experiences on important topics, including diversification of the energy mix, resilient energy supply chains, energy access and innovative financing, new and emerging technologies, and digitalization of energy systems.
The discussions reflected broad convergence on the need for resilient and diversified energy systems, affordable and inclusive energy access, and innovative and affordable financing to advance clean energy deployment. Technological innovation and digitalization, supported by reliable energy data, interoperability, cyber security and skilled human resources, were identified as important enablers of efficient, flexible and resilient energy systems.
Youth representatives from India highlighted key national initiatives and achievements in energy security, energy access, clean energy deployment and power-sector reforms, including the PM-KUSUM, PM Surya Ghar, SHANTI Act, Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), and the India Energy Stack (IES). They also shared India’s experience in diversifying the energy mix, strengthening distribution infrastructure and advancing decentralized renewable energy and digitalization, while highlighting the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE) on Smart Grids and Energy Storage as a platform for knowledge exchange, capacity building and collaboration on smart grids, storage and grid resilience.
The Eighth BRICS Youth Energy Summit 2026 reaffirmed the pivotal role of BRICS youth in advancing energy cooperation and shaping solutions for a secure, sustainable, inclusive and future-ready energy sector, in keeping with the vision of “Energy for All”.
