Russian President Vladimir Putin reached New Delhi early Friday for a three-day visit. During his stay, he will attend the 18th BRICS Summit and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for important bilateral discussions. Putin was welcomed at the airport by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs. This is Putin’s first physical appearance at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.
His visit also comes amid continued high-level engagement between India and Russia and follows his meeting with PM Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek last week. During their meeting in Bishkek, PM Modi urged Putin to move from an “endless war towards the end of war”, in a reference to the Russia-Ukraine conflict that began five years ago following Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
US President Donald Trump’s trade and tariff policies are also expected to remain an important issue during discussions among BRICS leaders.
#WATCH | Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India ahead of the BRICS Summit 2026. During his visit, he will also hold talks with PM Narendra Modi and have a series of bilateral meetings. pic.twitter.com/pax5EW70Yu
— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2026
Xi Jinping, Pezeshkian and other leaders to attend
Several major world leaders are expected to take part in the New Delhi summit. The list includes Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung are also among the leaders attending the summit.
Putin to address BRICS business forum
Putin’s schedule on Friday includes an address at the main session of the BRICS Business Forum. The forum is usually held just before the leaders’ summit and brings together business representatives from BRICS countries. It provides a platform to discuss trade, investment and economic cooperation.
Later in the day, Putin will meet PM Modi for bilateral talks. The two leaders will also visit the Innoprom exhibition, which has been organised by the industry and trade ministries of India and Russia.
Defence, energy and technology on Modi-Putin agenda
The meeting between Modi and Putin is expected to cover several key areas of cooperation. The discussions are likely to focus on defence, energy, technology, pharmaceuticals and stronger people-to-people contacts between India and Russia.
The two sides are also expected to discuss ways to further strengthen their long-standing strategic partnership.
BRICS leaders to meet on September 12
The main BRICS Summit programme will begin on September 12. BRICS leaders will discuss proposals put forward by India as the current chair of the grouping. They are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in areas such as politics and security, trade and finance, and cultural and humanitarian relations.
The leaders will also discuss major international and regional developments.
An expanded BRICS meeting will be held on Sunday. It will include representatives from BRICS member and partner countries, invited nations and heads of international organisations.
Putin to meet other world leaders
During his Delhi visit, Putin is also expected to hold separate meetings with several foreign leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
According to TASS, his meetings are expected to include discussions with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
No separate Putin-Xi meeting scheduled
A separate full-scale meeting between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping has not been scheduled during the BRICS Summit, according to PTI.
However, the two leaders are expected to interact informally during a possible “pull-aside meeting” on the sidelines of the summit.
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