Russian President Vladimir Putin is in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit starting Friday.
Putin held bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Bharat Mandapam convention center. He is also expected to hold talks with other leaders of the expanded BRICS group.
The Russian president invited Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit, which the Indian PM accepted.
The summit of the leaders of the world’s emerging economies is being watched closely, given intensifying geopolitical tensions and economic turbulence caused by the West’s attempts to isolate Russia and coerce the Global South.
RT reporters are on the ground in New Delhi covering the Russian president’s visit and the BRICS Summit.
This live feed has now ended. Stay tuned for the main events of the BRICS summit on Saturday.
11 September 2026
India-Russia relations have grown “much deeper, much stronger” despite geopolitical tensions, former Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Vice Chancellor Rakesh Mohan Joshi has told RT. He said the partnership is based on trust and has been strengthened by expanding energy and trade ties.
Joshi described the relationship as mutually beneficial, pointing to Russian oil supplies and Indian goods sold to Russia, and said increasing Indian exports could help balance bilateral trade.
The mistakes made by the European elites are bound to further affect the energy sector in the region, the Russian president has said. Putin predicted a further price hike to be sparked by alarming rates of gas extraction from storage reservoirs within the EU.
“They believe it is more profitable to withdraw gas from storage today that was purchased at lower prices, and as for tomorrow – we’ll see what happens,” Putin told reporters.
The Ukraine crisis was provoked by the West, the Russian president has said. Sending troops from European nations to Ukraine in any capacity would mean a direct conflict with Russia, he warned.
“They are currently talking about considering how to send troops to Ukrainian territory. That means war with Russia,” he said.
Europe’s current political, security and economic problems are the result of “systemic mistakes” by Western globalists, Putin has said.
He added that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, globalists developed a sense that they could act with impunity, but their mistakes have accumulated “like a snowball.”
Putin is speaking to reporters in New Delhi following a series of meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
The Global South could become the defining theme of the BRICS summit as emerging economies seek greater resilience in a changing global order, geopolitical expert Atul Aneja has told RT. He pointed to food and energy security and new transport corridors as key areas for cooperation.
Aneja also said an “alternative financial system” is emerging through greater use of national currencies, currency swaps and digital payments, with BRICS “at the heart of it.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has exclusively told RT in New Delhi that closer ties with BRICS would not prevent Serbia from pursuing EU membership, describing the two as fundamentally different groups.
“BRICS is a club of countries that share a common vision” of a multipolar world and equal cooperation “free from pressure by third countries,” he said. “The two do not exclude each other.”
Peskov added that while BRICS itself cannot perform a peacekeeping role in Kosovo, individual member states have influence and are prepared to help normalize the situation in the region, which he described as “still explosive.”
Serbia is not a BRICS member, but has expressed interest in closer cooperation with the group.
Putin has met New Development Bank (NDB) President Dilma Rousseff on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, praising the lender’s contribution to the group.
“The bank is working energetically” and expanding its activities in key areas, Putin said, adding that Russia wants its programs to grow and “cover more sectors” across BRICS economies.
Established by the five original BRICS countries in 2015, the NDB finances infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging and developing economies and has approved roughly $43 billion in lending. It has since expanded to ten members, most recently admitting Uzbekistan in June.
Traditional multilateral economic forums have failed to meet the aspirations of developing and emerging economies, geopolitical policy expert Heena Makhija has told RT.
“BRICS provides a great platform to gain consensus on what lies ahead for such emerging economies,” she said. Makhija added that closer cooperation on digital and cross-border payments could eventually pave the way for a broader financial mechanism among the group’s members.
Putin has held bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, praising the “genuinely friendly” relations between the two countries.
He welcomed Malaysia’s participation in BRICS as a partner country and described the group as a forum helping shape a “new, just and democratic world order.”
BRICS has become an increasingly important voice for the Global South, despite the political, historical, and cultural differences among its members, Rajan Kumar, a professor of international politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told RT India from New Delhi.
“The West may call BRICS a divided house or just a talk shop,” Kumar said, “but from the perspective of the Global South, BRICS has become its most important organization.” He pointed to the group’s expansion and financial institutions such as the New Development Bank.
“50% of humanity and 40% of global GDP. Naturally, BRICS matters!” Modi posted on X.
Calling for the next decade to be “about action,” Modi proposed removing major trade barriers, helping startups expand across BRICS markets and building 1,000 new business partnerships.
“Let BRICS grow. Let BRICS help the world grow,” he wrote.
Russian presidential investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev has said a banking agreement on BRICS Pay, an interoperable payment system across BRICS countries that is being developed, will be announced at the summit.
“The main task is for BRICS not just to be a powerful geopolitical grouping,” he said, “but to develop practical investment and financial solutions that bring its members together.”
Sisi has stressed the need for stability in the Middle East, particularly to ensure the security of shipping lanes and transport routes.
Egypt imports large quantities of grain from both Russia and Ukraine, he told Putin, adding that stable supplies are of the “utmost importance” for the country.
Putin has held bilateral talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing growing trade and major joint projects, which he said are “proceeding as planned despite difficulties.”
He also invited el-Sisi to visit Russia, saying that Moscow expects a high-level Egyptian delegation at the Russia-Africa Summit in October.
Modi has said the India-Russia economic partnership “continues to gather momentum” after joining Putin at the INNOPROM exhibition in New Delhi.
The event brought together companies from both countries and reflected “the growing depth of our business engagement,” Modi wrote on X in both English and Russian, sharing photos of himself and Putin at the venue.
India without Bollywood? Not possible. RT India offers a special take on this year’s BRICS Summit through the lens of Indian cinema.
Ramaphosa thanked Putin for Russia’s support during his country’s G20 presidency, saying it contributed to the “very successful” summit hosted by South Africa last November.
“It was not an easy summit,” Ramaphosa said, adding that participants were able to overcome challenges from countries that “did not want to fully participate.”
Putin has opened talks with Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, saying Russia attaches “special significance” to developing relations with African nations.
He said Moscow is preparing to host the third Russia-Africa Summit on October 28-29, with priorities including digital technology, peaceful nuclear power, independent payment systems, and food security.
Putin briefed Modi on his recent talks with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow, which lasted around three hours on September 5, as well as his phone call with President Donald Trump, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.
Putin and Modi also discussed the Ukraine conflict, Ushakov said.
Indian PM Narendra Modi has held bilateral talks with Iran’s Pezeshkian, on the sidelines of the summit. Modi reportedly emphasised that the safety and security of seafarers will remain the top priority for India. Several Indian seafarers have died in attacks on commercial ships in and near the Sea of Hormuz since the Mideast conflict started.
Putin will soon meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for a bilateral on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Trade, investment, defense, and energy will be discussed, reports RT India.
Africa cannot accept a future where countries with resources continue to supply minerals on which the generation of industries depend, while value addition and manufacturing takes place elsewhere, says South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa.
lithium
India is looking to source lithium, among other minerals, from Russia, Indian Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy has said. New Delhi wants to encourage private Indian companies to acquire and develop mining assets in Russia, he said.
Sberbank's First Deputy Chairman Alexander Vedyakhin told RT India head of news Runjhun Sharma that the volume and speed of transactions between Russia and India has increased dramatically.
Sberbank has bought two business towers in New Delhi and plans to use them for a Russia-India trade and cooperation hub.
Pezeshkian also proposed that BRICS establish a reinsurance company with an initial capital of $10 billion to cover the risks of large infrastructure and energy projects and increase the confidence of the private sector.
He added that BRICS should not be merely consumers of technology, but should play a role in generating knowledge and shaping standards for the digital economy, while strengthening the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure.
“The true power of BRICS is not limited to the economic size of its members, but becomes more evident when these capacities are transformed into a network of joint trade, investment, and financing,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the BRICS Business Forum. “That is, the transition from potential cooperation to operational cooperation.”
Modi reiterated that global trade can grow only when the sea lanes are secure, supply routes remain open, and the seafarers are safe. This is a recurring theme in India’s foreign policy as global conflicts choke up maritime trade routes.
Modi said that women entrepreneurs should lead the BRICS growth stories. More than 200 women leaders have participated in the meeting of this Alliance.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the BRICS Business Forum, pointed out that “the economic strength of BRICS has grown at nearly twice the pace of the rest of the world. BRICS nations are also emerging as key hubs for global innovation and solutions.”
Modi noted that India is hosting the largest BRICS Business Forum to date, and added that the growing scale, speed, and optimism of BRICS are “clearly evident.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin was greeted with thunderous applause at the BRICS Business Council meeting in New Delhi, held ahead of the leaders’ summit.
BRICS is forming a new sustainable platform for global growth. It is very important that its key elements, the rules of operation of companies and organizations, are not imposed from outside, Putin says, pointing out that “we do not impose anything on anyone.”
“Our rules are based on innovative business approaches and breakthrough technological solutions, and place the national interests of states and the interests of our peoples at the forefront,” the Russian president tells the BRICS Business Forum.
Addressing the BRICS Business Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin says strong economic partnerships and reliable business ties largely form the basis of international relations, making them more sustainable and stable, and allow us to overcome the crises that the modern world faces.
The world is going through structural changes caused by “the old leaders” of economic growth in the second half of the last century being replaced by new engines of development, Putin says.
“World is undergoing a structural shift,” Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses BRICS Business Forum.
Modi and Putin have agreed to remain engaged in an effort to “strengthen further the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which continues to register significant growth and has shown resilience in the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainties,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Putin invited Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit, which the Indian PM accepted. The dates of the summit will be decided later.
At his meeting with Putin, Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy was the way forward in resolving conflicts and that India stood ready to assist in peace efforts, the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It added that the two leaders shared perspectives on key regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the conflicts in the Middle East and Black Sea region, which have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are on the stage at the BRICS Business Forum. It is the largest business forum of the BRICS grouping ever, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal says.
After the visit to INNOPROM. India, Putin will now address the BRICS Business Forum at the same convention center. Other national leaders who are in New Delhi for the BRICS summit are also arriving at the center to attend the forum.
Modi is scheduled to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after this.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are now touring INNOPROM. India, Russia’s international industrial fair being held in India for the first time. More than 120 Russian and Indian companies are present at the event, organized as part of an effort to expand bilateral trade and investment.
The Putin-Modi meeting took place at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where the INNOPROM. India trade fair is ongoing.
The meeting was their second in less than two weeks, after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31.
Modi and Putin have now left Bharat Mandapam and are traveling back in the same car.
Modi presented Putin with the Thirukkural, a classical Tamil text of 1,330 short, two-line poetic couplets, written by the poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar.
The much-awaited Modi-Putin meeting is on!
RT Hindi went live earlier this week, nine months after RT India launched its English-language television channel. The charge d’affaires at the Russian Embassy in New Delhi, Roman Babushkin, listed artificial intelligence, the Arctic, and space as priority areas for deeper bilateral cooperation, beyond the traditional pillars of defense and energy. And Babushkin did this while speaking Hindi!
Modi and Putin are expected to discuss progress toward the ambitious $100 billion bilateral trade target they set in December, sources told RT. They are also expected to discuss strengthening civil nuclear cooperation, mobility for skilled Indian workers in Russia, cooperation in critical minerals, and sustaining the growing cooperation on fertilizers. The meeting will take place soon.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for stronger cooperation among countries of the Global South, ahead of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Official news agency Xinhua said he is expected to advance proposals on Global South cooperation at the summit.
India doesn’t believe that BRICS is an anti-West group, opposition lawmaker Shashi Tharoor told RT India. “That is a position the other members are bound to understand,” he said.
Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov has told RT that sanctions cannot stop Russia from developing its industrial and technological potential.
”Following the imposition of sanctions, we have undertaken significant work on import substitution and the development of domestic aircraft manufacturing,” he said.
Alikhanov also discussed plans to expand Russia-India cooperation, including joint aircraft production, engine manufacturing, and efforts to boost bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.
Indian miniature sculptor K. Bijay Kumar Reddy has created 1-centimeter chalk portraits of BRICS leaders ahead of the summit in New Delhi, along with a 5-millimeter version of the bloc’s logo.
BRICS economies can deepen trade and investment by using national currencies more widely, strengthening banking links, and improving risk-management frameworks, according to trade and finance experts cited by ANI news agency.
The experts also called for reducing non-tariff barriers through harmonized standards, mutual recognition of certifications, simpler customs procedures, and greater regulatory transparency, arguing that such measures could support intra-BRICS trade and more resilient supply chains.
This is the 18th summit of the BRICS nations. The BRICS grouping has grown considerably from its original five members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
BRICS has emerged as a major grouping because of its economic weight and population size. Together, they now account for nearly half of the world’s population, around 40% of global GDP, and 26% of international trade, according to Indian government data.
Here is a quick look at who’s attending and what’s on the agenda.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin in New Delhi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit.
Uruguay holds the rotating presidency of the 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). India and Uruguay have stepped up engagement in recent months, with New Delhi appointing its first resident ambassador to Uruguay earlier this year.
In a sign of how bilateral economic ties are expanding beyond energy, Russian aviation companies stole the show at INNOPROM. India, the first Indian edition of Russia’s flagship international industrial exhibition.
Russian plane maker UAC on Thursday reached agreements with three Indian domestic airlines to sell up to 105 Il-114-300 regional jets. Plans to jointly produce the planes are also progressing.
UAC and India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited are also negotiating the localization and production of SJ-100 regional jets, UAC CEO Vadim Badekha said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit, marking the first visit to India by an Iranian president since 2018. Pezeshkian is set to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Friday.
The two leaders last met on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek on August 31, where they discussed bilateral ties, trade, developments in the Middle East, and cooperation within BRICS and the SCO. The Iranian leader is also expected to take part in the BRICS Business Forum.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met in New Delhi to discuss financial cooperation, with a focus on maintaining stable payment and settlement mechanisms to support growth in trade, investment, and broader economic ties.
The two sides also discussed preparations for an intergovernmental agreement aimed at promoting and protecting investments between Russia and India.
The India-Russia priority investment tracking mechanism is actively monitoring 40 projects across advanced manufacturing, energy, mining, railways, and emerging technology, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal told the plenary session of the INNOPROM. India trade fair on Thursday in New Delhi.
This is progress toward the $50 billion investment target.
In December, when Putin last visited New Delhi, the leaders set two hard growth targets – corporate style – for the relationship: $100 billion in trade by 2020, and $50 billion in investments.
Trade turnover has since grown, Putin said last month. “It is rising this year, and this is due in part – and perhaps above all – to the efforts of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, who gives the development of Russian-Indian relations close personal attention,” Putin told Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in Moscow.
The Modi-Putin meeting is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
The relationship has grown beyond energy, defense, and space, to industrial cooperation and joint production, AI, labor mobility, and tourism.
And geopolitics is unavoidable, considering the current state of the world.
Here is a deeper look at the issues likely to come up in the talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in New Delhi for a three-day visit to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in the Indian capital.
Putin’s plane touched down early on Friday, and he was welcomed by an honor guard before leaving the airport in his Aurus presidential limousine.
His flight was preceded by three Russian IL-76 planes, carrying advance teams and military officials to review preparations and security arrangements, which landed on Thursday morning.