Putin arrives in New Delhi for talks with Modi ahead of BRICS 2026 summit

On September 11, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in New Delhi a day before the opening of the BRICS summit, and Indian officials indicated that he would hold a one‑on‑one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that afternoon. The Hindu reported that the bilateral talks are likely to focus on coordination within the bloc and broader geopolitical issues.

The Hindu added that Iran’s President Ebrahim Pezeshkian and United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres were among the senior figures scheduled to arrive later in the day, underscoring the summit’s high‑profile diplomatic roster.

BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, was founded in 2009 as an alternative platform for emerging economies to shape global governance. Hosting the 2026 summit marks the first time India has chaired the gathering, a milestone that reflects New Delhi’s growing clout in multilateral forums and its ambition to steer the bloc’s agenda toward deeper economic cooperation and reform of international financial institutions.

Analysts expect the Delhi agenda to tackle several pressing themes: expanding the New Development Bank’s lending capacity, enhancing trade links among members, and discussing the possible admission of new partners to the group. India has signaled interest in using the summit to promote its “Act East” strategy and to attract investment in infrastructure projects that align with the bank’s development goals.

Security arrangements for the summit have been tight, with Indian authorities deploying additional forces to safeguard delegates amid heightened regional tensions. The presence of leaders from Russia, Iran and the United Nations highlights the summit’s role as a diplomatic crossroads where divergent interests converge, making the outcomes potentially influential for global trade patterns and geopolitical alignments.