Putin Heads to India for BRICS Summit as New Delhi and Moscow Deepen Strategic Partnership

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India for the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13, 2026, bringing the Russian leader to New Delhi at a time when India and Russia are seeking to expand their longstanding strategic partnership across defence, energy, trade, space and emerging areas of economic cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially confirmed the forthcoming engagement during his meeting with Putin in Bishkek on August 31, held on the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Modi looked forward to welcoming President Putin to India for the BRICS Summit, which India is hosting under its 2026 BRICS Chairship.

Modi and Putin Review Strategic Partnership

The August 31 meeting provided the two leaders with an opportunity to review the full spectrum of the India–Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

According to the PMO, discussions covered political and economic cooperation as well as defence, energy, space, mobility and people-to-people relations.

Both leaders noted the continuing growth of the bilateral relationship despite geopolitical uncertainties and agreed to remain engaged in strengthening cooperation further.

The meeting was their first face-to-face engagement of 2026. Their previous meeting had taken place in New Delhi during the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit in December 2025.

Trade and Economic Cooperation in Focus

Economic ties are expected to remain an important element of the relationship.

Modi and Putin welcomed the outcome of the 27th India–Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation, which was held in Moscow on August 24, 2026.

The commission is one of the principal institutional mechanisms overseeing bilateral economic cooperation and covers sectors ranging from trade and investment to energy, technology and connectivity.

India and Russia have been working to broaden their commercial relationship beyond the energy trade, with increasing attention being given to manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, machinery, technology and Indian exports to the Russian market.

Defence and Energy Remain Core Pillars

Defence cooperation remains one of the strongest elements of India–Russia relations.

Russia has for decades been a major supplier of military equipment to India, while the relationship has increasingly shifted towards joint production, localisation, maintenance and technology cooperation.

Energy has become another major pillar, particularly following the sharp expansion of Indian purchases of Russian crude oil in recent years.

The two countries are also exploring wider cooperation in nuclear energy, fertilisers and other strategic commodities.

Space and Mobility Gain Greater Attention

The August discussions also highlighted space and mobility as areas receiving increasing attention.

India and Russia have a longstanding space relationship dating back several decades, including cooperation connected with India’s human-spaceflight programme.

Mobility and people-to-people links are also becoming increasingly important as both governments explore ways to improve travel, tourism, education and movement of skilled workers between the two countries.

BRICS Provides Another Strategic Platform

Modi and Putin also discussed cooperation within BRICS, particularly during India’s chairmanship in 2026.

The grouping has expanded considerably in recent years and has become an important platform for emerging economies seeking greater influence over global economic governance, development finance and multilateral institutions.

India’s hosting of the 18th BRICS Summit therefore gives New Delhi an opportunity both to shape the grouping’s wider agenda and to hold a series of important bilateral engagements with participating leaders.

A High-Level India–Russia Engagement

Putin’s expected presence at the September 12–13 summit will provide another opportunity for the two leaders to take stock of bilateral initiatives launched over the past year.

The partnership has shown considerable continuity despite international geopolitical tensions, with both governments continuing to describe it as a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

For India, the relationship offers cooperation across defence technology, energy security, nuclear power, space and access to the Russian market. For Russia, India remains a major Asian economic partner and an increasingly important market for energy and industrial cooperation.

The BRICS Summit could therefore serve not only as an important multilateral meeting but also as another stage in the evolving India–Russia strategic partnership, as the two countries seek to deepen cooperation in both traditional and emerging sectors.

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