Mumbai, 8th August 2026, Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will inaugurate the second BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave Tuesday, August 11 at Four Season Hotel, Mumbai. The two-day international Conclave will have 15 cities being represented, said Mr. Ashank Desai, Vice-Chairman, Mumbai First.
Mumbai First, a catalyst think-tank, with the support of the Government of Maharashtra and the Government of India, was the first to organize such a conference in 2016. Delegations from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Iran and Indonesia will participate in the Conclave, making it one of the most significant international urban development platforms to be hosted in India under the BRICS Presidency.
Announcing the Conclave, at Mumbai Press Club on Saturday, Mr Desai said the other dignitaries of the two-day Conclave include his excellency Governor Shri Jishnu Dev Verma, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis and the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde, apart from the
heads of the participating cities. The event will have 6 sessions over two days discussing and debating Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability by sectoral experts, thought leaders, and government representatives at the Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai.
The Conclave is expected to witness the participation of senior representatives from the Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra, Municipal Commissioners and senior officials from Urban Local Bodies across India, international city delegations, representatives of
multilateral organisations, academia, civil society and industry. Over two days, the Conclave will explore practical and scalable solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing cities today. Discussions will focus on urban climate resilience, cooling cities, coastal resilience, clean air, affordable housing, low-carbon mobility, artificial intelligence for urban governance.
The Conclave has been envisioned as the beginning of an annual BRICS Friendship Cities platform that will strengthen long-term cooperation among BRICS cities through sustained dialogue, knowledge exchange and institutional collaboration.
Mr. Narinder Nayar, Chairman, Mumbai First, said: “This Conclave is about moving from dialogue to action. Mumbai First plans to bring cities together to build partnerships that translate into real progress- across infrastructure, mobility, investment, and innovation. Let our Conclave be remembered not merely for the conversations we have, but for the collaborations we begin; not merely for the friendships we celebrate, but for the future we build together. I believe that nations may define the frontiers of diplomacy, but cities build the bridges of friendship. It is through these bridges that understanding grows, partnerships flourish and the future is shaped.”
Mr. Ashank Desai, Vice-Chairman, Mumbai First, said: “Mumbai First has also been working with governments outside India and bringing them here to work with Maharashtra agency such as BMC, MMRDA and other organizations…
The BRICS event is about getting BRICS countries to discuss the issues at the national & international. In 2016, we did a first of its kind event when India was heading the BRICS Presidency…This event is the second of that kind where people from other cities such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Iran and Indonesia will come here on 11 & 12 August in Mumbai”
Mr. Roger Pereira, Vice-Chairman, Mumbai First, said: “I believe conferences like BRICS where cities and countries share experiences that work are very important. If we are to overcome natural and man-made disasters, some of the BRICS countries like China have done pathbreaking work towards clean air solutions. We have a lot to learn from them. There are several other instances where individual countries have gone ahead and shown to the other countries the way forward. It’s only through such examples that we can move forward.”
- Gaazi Moin