Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks in Delhi ahead of the BRICS summit, focusing on trade, defence, energy and the next phase of the India-Russia strategic partnership.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, September 11, 2026: Russian President Vladimir Putin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday for bilateral talks ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, as India seeks to use its BRICS presidency to deepen economic cooperation while navigating wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and sharpening global rivalries.
The meeting was the second between Modi and Putin in less than two weeks and came against the backdrop of expanding India-Russia economic ties despite Western sanctions on Moscow. Their discussions covered trade, defence, energy and wider economic cooperation, with both sides looking to strengthen what India describes as its “special and privileged strategic partnership” with Russia.
The two leaders also discussed cooperation in areas including civil nuclear energy, fertilisers, manufacturing, railways, steel and critical minerals, according to reports on the talks. Modi reiterated India’s position that the war in Ukraine should end through diplomacy while stressing the importance of continued energy cooperation with Russia.
After the meeting, Modi and Putin travelled together in the same car to attend the INNOPROM industrial exhibition, a gesture underscoring the close political relationship between the two leaders.
Modi later described the meeting as an opportunity to advance closer trade ties, including implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030, as well as cooperation in infrastructure, energy, technology, defence and culture.
The Putin meeting is one of several high-level diplomatic engagements surrounding the summit, which brings together leaders of an expanded BRICS grouping at a moment of intense geopolitical uncertainty.
⚡️ PM Modi & Putin Together Check Out What’s On Offer At INNOPROM.India
The Russian President is the first leader the Indian PM has met and spent time with before BRICS roars into gear. #BRICS2026 #BRICSIndia2026 #IndiaBRICSChairship https://t.co/aaK5loo8XZ pic.twitter.com/8A0Gm0EmUj
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 11, 2026
Xi, Pezeshkian and Other Leaders Arrive
Chinese President Xi Jinping is also in India for the summit, with India and China arranging a bilateral meeting between Xi and Modi. The proposed meeting carries particular significance following years of tensions between the two countries and a gradual effort to stabilise bilateral relations. China has said it wants to strengthen communication and cooperation with India while managing their differences.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is another key participant, with his visit coming amid heightened tensions in West Asia. Pezeshkian is expected to hold talks with Modi and participate in the BRICS Business Forum.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and leaders and representatives from other BRICS members and partner countries are also attending the Delhi gathering.
The summit itself is scheduled for September 12 and 13.
BRICS at a Turning Point
India assumed the BRICS chair on January 1, 2026, and is hosting the group’s 18th leaders’ summit in Delhi under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The grouping has expanded substantially from its original five-member configuration. Its 11 members are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The enlarged bloc represents nearly half of the world’s population and around 40 per cent of the global economy on a purchasing-power-parity basis, giving the summit considerable weight in discussions on global economic governance.
But the expanded BRICS also brings together countries with sharply differing strategic interests.
Russia and Iran are confronting major tensions with Western powers. India maintains close strategic ties with Russia while simultaneously deepening its relationship with the United States and other Western economies. India and China remain strategic competitors despite efforts to stabilise their bilateral relationship.
These contradictions are likely to test India’s ability to build consensus during its chairmanship.
Reducing Dependence on the Dollar
One of the major economic issues running through BRICS discussions is the group’s effort to increase trade in national currencies and reduce dependence on the US dollar.
Iran has advocated greater use of national currencies in trade and stronger BRICS financial cooperation. Other members have also supported efforts to develop alternative payment mechanisms, although differences among the economies mean that creating a unified BRICS financial system remains difficult.
The challenge for India is to push for greater financial and economic cooperation without turning BRICS into an explicitly anti-Western bloc.
That balancing act is central to New Delhi’s approach to the grouping.
India has repeatedly presented BRICS as a platform for the Global South and for reform of international institutions rather than as a military or geopolitical alliance directed against the West.
Trade and Economic Cooperation
Economic cooperation is expected to remain at the heart of the Delhi summit.
Modi has emphasised strengthening intra-BRICS trade, investment, technology cooperation and supply-chain resilience. The BRICS Business Forum accompanying the summit has brought together business leaders from member countries, with Modi describing it as the largest BRICS business gathering ever held.
For India, the summit provides an opportunity to promote its interests in areas ranging from energy and critical minerals to infrastructure, manufacturing, digital technology and pharmaceuticals.
The India-Russia relationship is particularly significant in this context. Bilateral trade has surged in recent years, driven largely by India’s purchases of Russian oil. Russia has also remained an important defence supplier and partner in areas including nuclear energy and advanced technology.
#WATCH | PM @narendramodi, along with fellow BRICS leaders, poses for a group photograph at the BRICS Business Forum 2026.@BricsIndia2026 @MEAIndia #BRICS2026 #BRICSIndia2026 #IndiaBRICSChairship #BRICS26OnDD pic.twitter.com/xXpqDT8WmC
— DD News (@DDNewslive) September 11, 2026
Ukraine and Middle East Wars Cast Shadow
The Delhi summit is taking place against the backdrop of two major conflicts.
The continuing war in Ukraine has complicated Russia’s relations with much of the West, while India’s continued economic engagement with Moscow has attracted international scrutiny. At the same time, the conflict and instability in West Asia have brought Iran’s role into sharper focus.
These wars expose the divisions within BRICS even as the grouping seeks to project itself as an important voice of the Global South.
The presence of Putin and Pezeshkian gives the summit particular geopolitical significance, while Xi’s participation adds another major dimension as India and China seek to manage their rivalry.
India Seeks to Shape an Expanded BRICS
For India, the summit is also an opportunity to demonstrate that an expanded BRICS can remain a practical platform for economic cooperation rather than becoming consumed by geopolitical confrontation.
The grouping now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Its partner countries include Belarus, Cuba, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
India is chairing BRICS for the fourth time, having previously held the presidency in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The 2026 chairmanship also coincides with two decades since the creation of BRICS as a political and economic grouping.
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Modi’s “Humanity First” emphasis is intended to put development, resilience and cooperation at the centre of India’s presidency.
But the real test in Delhi will be whether the expanded bloc can translate its growing economic weight into concrete cooperation while managing profound differences among its members.
For India, the Modi-Putin meeting on Friday offered a clear reminder of the strategic importance of bilateral partnerships. The arrival of Xi and Pezeshkian, meanwhile, highlights the larger diplomatic balancing act awaiting Modi as the BRICS leaders gather in Delhi.
The summit is therefore not simply another meeting of emerging economies. It is a test of whether a rapidly expanding Global South grouping can find common ground at a time when the international order is being reshaped by war, sanctions, trade rivalries and competition among major powers.
