Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to India to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Tuesday, adding a significant diplomatic dimension to the high-profile gathering hosted by India.
The summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam, where leaders of BRICS member countries are expected to deliberate on a wide range of global and economic issues. India, which assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2026, is hosting the summit as the grouping marks two decades since its formation.
Peskov said Putin's India visit would provide an important opportunity to deepen bilateral ties between Moscow and New Delhi. He also expressed confidence that India would successfully host the summit and said Russia would contribute to strengthening cooperation within the BRICS framework.
According to the Kremlin spokesperson, Putin is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 11, a day before the BRICS summit formally begins. The meeting is expected to cover key areas of India-Russia cooperation as well as major international developments.
Peskov highlighted the close relationship between Modi and Putin, describing their interaction as both pragmatic and candid. He said the two leaders have demonstrated an ability to discuss sensitive matters openly and constructively, creating opportunities for further cooperation between the two countries.
The upcoming Modi-Putin meeting is also significant against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. India has consistently advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict while maintaining its longstanding strategic partnership with Moscow.
The two leaders most recently met on August 31 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. During that meeting, Modi reiterated India's call for an early end to hostilities and emphasised that lasting peace was essential for humanity.
India's BRICS presidency this year is centred on the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." New Delhi has sought to give the grouping a practical and development-oriented agenda, with emphasis on areas such as trade, agriculture, healthcare, energy, digital technology, startups, small businesses, urban development, climate action and cultural cooperation.
The 2026 summit is particularly important as BRICS continues to evolve following its expansion beyond its original membership. The grouping began as BRIC, bringing together Brazil, Russia, India and China, before South Africa joined in 2011 and the bloc subsequently expanded further.
For India, the summit offers an opportunity to underline its role as a bridge between major emerging economies while pushing for greater cooperation on issues affecting the developing world. For Russia, Putin's presence provides an opportunity to reinforce ties with India and engage directly with other BRICS leaders at a time of major geopolitical and economic shifts.
With Putin arriving ahead of the summit for discussions with Modi, the September 11 meeting is likely to attract considerable attention. The talks, followed by the BRICS summit on September 12-13, are expected to place India-Russia relations and the broader future direction of BRICS firmly in the global spotlight.
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