BRICS Summit 2026: Modi Meets Putin as Delhi Hosts Global Leaders; Xi Set for Key Talks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as India began hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, bringing together leaders and senior representatives from major emerging economies amid growing global economic and geopolitical challenges.
The two-day leaders’ summit is being held at Bharat Mandapam on September 12 and 13, with discussions expected to focus on trade, investment, financial cooperation, cross-border payments, global conflicts and the wider interests of the Global South.
Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday for the summit and is accompanied by a high-level delegation. Following his meeting with Modi, the two leaders visited the INNOPROM exhibition at Bharat Mandapam, highlighting the economic and industrial dimensions of India-Russia cooperation.
During the bilateral meeting, Modi also presented Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the classical Tamil work attributed to Thiruvalluvar and comprising 1,330 couplets.
Xi Jinping’s India Visit Draws Global Attention
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Modi on Saturday, September 12, on the sidelines of the summit. The meeting will be closely watched as Xi makes his first visit to India in nearly seven years.
China has said it wants to work with India from a “strategic height and long-term perspective”, while stressing the need for greater communication, cooperation and proper handling of differences.
The Modi-Xi meeting comes after the two leaders met in Kazan and Tianjin in recent years. Bilateral relations, trade and broader regional issues are expected to remain important areas of discussion.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also attending the summit and is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Modi. Other leaders expected in New Delhi include Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and several other heads of government.
BRICS Pushes Trade and Local-Currency Payments
Economic cooperation is emerging as one of the major themes of the summit.
Addressing the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal called on BRICS members and partner countries to strengthen links between their payment systems and increase trade in local currencies.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also highlighted India's expanding manufacturing capabilities, large consumer market, digital ecosystem and growing pool of skilled talent.
The BRICS Finance Ministers and central bank governors, meanwhile, expressed concern over the unilateral imposition of tariffs and non-tariff measures that can distort international trade.
They also backed efforts to develop practical solutions for cross-border payments using local currencies while acknowledging that national priorities differ among member countries.
The discussions underline a broader BRICS objective of increasing economic cooperation while reducing friction in cross-border trade and financial transactions.
India Says BRICS Should Remain Focused on Global Cooperation
The summit is taking place against a backdrop of conflicts and economic uncertainty affecting energy, agriculture, supply chains and international trade.
Prime Minister Modi has expressed confidence that the summit will lead to “positive and meaningful discussions” on issues linked to global welfare.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also argued that BRICS should remain a forum that is “non-West, but not anti-West”, saying an explicitly anti-Western positioning would not be in India's national interest.
The comments reflect the wider debate over the future direction of BRICS as its membership and influence expand.
Delhi Tightens Security, Traffic Restrictions
The arrival of multiple heads of state has triggered extensive security and traffic arrangements across the national capital.
Around 15,000 Delhi Police personnel and 200 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed for the summit. Security has been strengthened around summit venues, hotels, major roads, historical sites and VVIP routes.
The Delhi Traffic Police has announced multiple restrictions and diversions during VIP and VVIP movements. Several important roads in central and south Delhi are expected to experience regulated traffic.
For Saturday evening, traffic restrictions are scheduled from 8:15 pm to 11 pm on several key stretches.
Commuters have been advised to plan journeys in advance and allow additional travel time.
Delhi Metro has also announced an early start on Sunday, September 13, with services across all corridors beginning at 6 am to assist students and commuters during the summit-related restrictions.
Delhi Gets BRICS Makeover
Central Delhi has also been given a visual makeover ahead of the summit, with illuminated roundabouts, floral displays, landscaped stretches and BRICS-themed signage installed at prominent locations.
The New Delhi Municipal Council has placed LED displays carrying the BRICS logo at several locations, while more than 15,000 potted ornamental plants have been deployed across prominent areas.
A cultural programme featuring an ensemble of more than 100 artists from India and other BRICS countries is also planned as part of the gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi.
With leaders from across the Global South converging on New Delhi, the summit is expected to put India's diplomatic, economic and strategic priorities at the centre of discussions on the future of BRICS and the evolving global order.
