Modi and Putin Review Defence, Energy and Trade Ties as India-Russia Partnership Expands at BRICS Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks in New Delhi on September 11 on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, reviewing the expanding India-Russia partnership across defence, energy, trade, industry, space and people-to-people cooperation.

The meeting marked the second interaction between the two leaders this year, following their talks in Bishkek on August 31 during the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.

Broad Review of Strategic Partnership

During the meeting, Modi and Putin assessed progress across the principal pillars of the India-Russia relationship, including political engagement, economic cooperation, defence ties, energy security, space collaboration and skilled-mobility initiatives.

Both sides underlined the resilience of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, which has continued to expand despite a difficult international environment and wider geopolitical tensions.

Defence and energy remain important components of the bilateral relationship, while the two countries are also seeking to widen cooperation into manufacturing, industrial technology, skills and new commercial areas.

INNOPROM India Adds an Industrial Dimension

The leaders welcomed the successful organisation of INNOPROM India, Russia’s international industrial exhibition, which was held in India for the first time from September 9 to 11, 2026.

Modi and Putin jointly visited the exhibition and interacted with participants, highlighting the event’s potential to build stronger connections between Indian and Russian companies.

The exhibition is expected to support efforts to move the economic relationship beyond traditional sectors by promoting industrial partnerships, technology exchanges, manufacturing cooperation and business-to-business engagement.

For India, such cooperation also fits into the wider effort to strengthen domestic industrial capacity while attracting international partnerships in advanced manufacturing and technology.

BRICS and Multilateral Coordination

The two leaders also discussed cooperation within BRICS, particularly during India’s chairship of the grouping in 2026.

India and Russia have long coordinated closely in multilateral organisations, and the latest meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the future direction of BRICS at a time when the grouping is assuming greater importance in debates over global governance, trade, development finance and the role of emerging economies.

Both leaders exchanged assessments of major regional and international developments affecting economic stability and maritime trade.

West Asia and Black Sea Conflicts Discussed

The conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region featured prominently in the discussions, especially their impact on shipping routes, international trade and the safety of Indian seafarers.

Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s established position that dialogue and diplomacy should remain the preferred route for resolving conflicts.

He also conveyed India’s readiness to contribute constructively to peace efforts where possible.

The focus on maritime security is particularly important for India because disruptions to major shipping routes can affect energy supplies, freight costs, global trade flows and the welfare of Indian nationals working aboard commercial vessels.

Putin Invites Modi to Russia

President Putin invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit.

Modi accepted the invitation, with the dates to be finalised later through diplomatic consultations between the two governments.

The forthcoming summit is expected to provide another opportunity to review long-term cooperation in strategic sectors and identify new areas for bilateral growth.

The New Delhi meeting reaffirmed that India and Russia intend to preserve the depth of their relationship while expanding it into new economic and technological sectors. The partnership now increasingly combines its traditional strengths in defence and energy with a broader focus on industry, trade, space, skills and multilateral coordination.

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