New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday as India and Russia seek to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy and defense, with the bilateral relationship taking center stage ahead of the BRICS summit.
Putin is in India on a three-day visit to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, being hosted by New Delhi on Sept. 12-13. The Russian president is leading a high-level delegation for the visit.
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The meeting comes amid sustained high-level engagement between the two countries and follows a meeting between Modi and Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek last week.
During their Bishkek meeting, Modi had called for a move from an “endless war towards the end of war,” referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Putin’s current visit is also significant as it marks his first in-person participation at a BRICS summit outside Russia since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He last visited India in December 2025 for the India-Russia annual summit.
The talks in New Delhi are expected to focus on the progress of the India-Russia partnership and a range of regional and global issues of strategic importance.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had said ahead of Putin’s visit that the two leaders would review bilateral ties and discuss international developments. Putin was also expected to brief Modi on the latest situation surrounding the Ukraine conflict.
Defense cooperation is likely to feature prominently in the discussions, with the two sides expected to review ongoing projects and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
Russia remains one of India’s key strategic partners, with the relationship spanning defense, energy, trade, investment and other areas of cooperation.
The bilateral engagement comes as India prepares to host leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees, for the summit in New Delhi.
As BRICS Chair for 2026, India will lead discussions on strengthening cooperation within the grouping and advancing common priorities. The Foreign Ministry said leaders will also exchange views on major global and regional developments of mutual interest.
The Modi-Putin meeting is therefore expected to provide both sides with an opportunity to reinforce their longstanding partnership while addressing a rapidly shifting geopolitical environment.
