BRICS Summit 2026: Putin, Modi reaffirm partnership

Image: @MEAIndia X/ANIAdvertisementSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to knowHere is a roundup of some of the top headlines from the BRICS Summit 2026 in India.

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Indian PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit that will begin on Saturday.

The two leaders "exchanged views on India-Russia engagement in the multilateral sphere, in particular in BRICS under India’s Chairship for 2026," a statement by India's Ministry of External Affairs said.

In the meeting, the leaders also exchanged views on "key regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region which have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers."

Reaffirming their ties, the two leaders committed to "remain engaged in an effort to strengthen further the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries," the statement added.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian landed in Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit.

This is the first visit by an Iranian President to India in over eight years.

Pezeshkian is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 6.15 p.mz. local time Friday to advance two-way trade and strengthen overall ties.

His participation at the BRICS Summit and bilateral talks with Modi holds significance as it comes at a time when tensions are rife in the Middle East and energy market disruptions have shaken the economy worldwide.

With BRICS nations now representing nearly 3.7 billion people and close to 40% of global GDP, leaders are meeting amid rising geopolitical tensions, trade disputes and energy challenges.

While the expanded bloc is seeking a stronger voice in the global economy, disagreements over an alternative payment system and China's dominant role could test unity. Renewable energy and green infrastructure financing are emerging as key areas to watch.

Speaking to DW about the BRICS Summit, former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor said that the expansion of the bloc has made it the voice of the Global South.

The BRICS coalition started out with four member countries; Brazil, Russia, India and China but now has 11 members and partner countries after the economic bloc decided to open up membership for more countries in 2023.

"The expansion that took place in Johannesburg turned out to be one in which both sets of geopolitical points of view were accommodated," Tharoor noted in an interview with DW.

He argued that, "in some ways the expansion has made it much more the voice of the global south."

However, he also said that while the majority of the world is represented in the new 11-member BRICS, the chances of having a consensus has also decreased. 

"I would say that BRICS is functioning, but the contradictions remain, and some contradictions have become even more apparent," he said.

He said that when BRICS leaders met this year, they "could not agree on any particular language, and so the chair, India, issued a chair statement instead… it wasn't just Iran, it was also Ukraine that they couldn't agree on."

Tharoor noted that the bloc has a "built-in set of geopolitical divergences which will crop up whenever issues divide the members."

Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday urged BRICS member countries to link their payment systems, encourage trade in local currencies, and make digital trade more accessible globally.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, Goyal highlighted India's digital payments ecosystem, including the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), as a potential foundation for deeper cross-border financial cooperation among BRICS economies.

"Today, it is also accepted in 11 countries and I would urge the Brics member countries and partner countries to link our payment systems, trade in each other's local currencies, make digital trade global and build together for the future emerging technologies," Goyal said as reported by Indian newspaper Deccan Herald.

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Delhi on Friday to attend the BRICS Summit being held at the Bharat Mandapam on September 12 and 13.

He will be meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the afternoon. Talks are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in a range of areas, including defence, energy, technology, pharmaceuticals and people-to-people exchanges. 

"Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin of Russia for the 18th BRICS Summit. He was received by MoS K V Singh at the airport. India and Russia share multifaceted and longstanding ties anchored in Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

This is Putin's first in-person participation at a BRICS Summit held outside Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Later in the evening, Modi will also be holding a bilateral talk with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Hello! This is Midhat from the New Delhi bureau, bringing you the biggest headlines emerging from across India.

With just one day to go before the BRICS Summit kicks off, Delhi is all geared up and welcoming the dignitaries — several of whom have already arrived in the capital, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From Friday onwards, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding bilateral talks with several leaders, including China's Xi Jinping, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

Security in the capital has been intensified with thousands of personnel deployed. All schools in Delhi, including government, and private schools will remain closed on September 11 due to the BRICS Summit.

Commuters in Delhi will see traffic restrictions and diversions over the bext three days. Authorities have advised travelers to plan journeys and use the Metro where possible.

Stay tuned as we bring you more on the BRICS Summit and everything else making a buzz in the country.