Putin Arrives in India for BRICS Summit 2026

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi early this morning at Palam Airport to attend the BRICS Summit 2026. He was received by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.

Ahead of the main summit, PM Modi and President Putin will hold a bilateral meeting today. The talks are expected to focus on defence, economic ties and other key strategic issues.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday praised the ‘multifaceted and long-standing’ bilateral relations between India and Russia.

In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Warm welcome to Russian President Putin for the 18th BRICS Summit. India and Russia share multifaceted and long-standing relations based on Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.”

President Putin’s arrival sets the stage for crucial talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and his address at the BRICS Business Forum. The discussions are expected to focus on strategic trade resilience, cross-border payment mechanisms, energy security and ways to resolve geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and West Asia.

According to a statement issued by the Kremlin, Putin will be on a working visit to India on the 20th anniversary of the group. The main BRICS Summit will be held on September 12-13 in New Delhi under India’s chairmanship.

The Kremlin said Putin will address the plenary session of the annual BRICS Business Forum on September 11. It is a forum that traditionally takes place before the leaders’ summit and brings together business representatives from BRICS nations.

On the same day, Putin will hold a bilateral meeting with PM Modi and will also visit the International Industrial Trade Fair (Innoprom India) with Indian leaders, organized by the Ministries of Industry and Trade of Russia and India.

The Russian President’s visit is expected to further boost the India-Russia strategic partnership, with special focus on trade and economic cooperation. India’s BRICS presidency has focused on strengthening international cooperation in trade, digital technology, finance, energy security and global governance reforms.

The September summit is expected to discuss strong global supply chains, cross-border payment integration, greater use of national currencies, MSME development, digital trade and Artificial Intelligence. Special focus will also be on energy security, climate resilience, development finance, expansion of the New Development Bank and reforms in multilateral financial and political institutions.