PM Modi-Putin Bilateral Begins In Delhi Ahead Of BRICS Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday for bilateral discussions ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit. Putin is on a three-day visit to India and is expected to discuss ways to expand bilateral trade, investment and energy cooperation with Modi. Russia remains one of India's key strategic partners, with the two countries maintaining close engagement across several areas.

Putin’s visit comes amid continued high-level interaction between New Delhi and Moscow. The Russian President last travelled to India in December 2025 for the India-Russia summit. His current visit also follows a meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek last week, where the two leaders discussed the broader bilateral relationship and international developments.

During their Bishkek meeting, Modi had urged Putin to move from an “endless war towards the end of war” in reference to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Friday meeting provides an opportunity for both sides to review progress in their bilateral partnership and discuss issues of strategic importance. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had earlier said that the two leaders would discuss bilateral ties and global developments, including the situation surrounding the Ukraine conflict.

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Defence cooperation is expected to be another important area of discussion between Modi and Putin. The two sides are likely to review ongoing defence projects as well as prospective areas of cooperation. The talks come as India and Russia continue to maintain extensive strategic engagement despite shifts in the global geopolitical environment.

Putin is accompanied by a high-level delegation during his three-day India visit. His participation in the BRICS Summit also marks his first in-person attendance at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. The bilateral engagement with Modi therefore carries significance alongside the wider multilateral discussions planned during the summit.

India, as BRICS Chair for 2026, will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The summit will bring together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries as well as outreach invitees. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders will discuss ways to strengthen intra-BRICS cooperation on shared priorities and exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual importance.

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