Modi, Putin vow deeper ties on eve of BRICS summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday for a three-day visit, holding bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit scheduled for September 12 and 13. The meeting, their second in two weeks, covered trade, energy, and defense cooperation as leaders from nearly a dozen emerging-market nations converge on the Indian capital.reuters+1

Talks Focus on Energy, Defense, and Cultural Ties

India said the two leaders agreed to further strengthen the relationship between their countries across areas including civil nuclear energy, fertilizers, defense, critical minerals, manufacturing, railways, and steel, according to Reuters. An anticipated 105-aircraft deal and potential joint technology development were also among the areas of expected cooperation.youtube+1

In a gesture of cultural diplomacy, Modi gifted Putin a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the ancient Tamil classic by poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar. Modi said the text includes the "entire gamut of human life" and expressed confidence that the translation would deepen people-to-people ties between India and Russia, according to ANI. The 2026 Russian-language edition was translated by Naira Mkrtchyan.aninews+1

After the talks, the two leaders traveled together in the same car to the INNOPROM Exhibition at Bharat Mandapam.youtube+1

BRICS Summit Tests India's Balancing Act

The summit comes amid global turmoil, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East casting a long shadow. Modi and Putin last met on August 31 at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, where Modi told Putin that the war in Ukraine "needed to end for humanity's sake" and that India would support every peace effort, Reuters reported.usnews

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are also in New Delhi for the summit. Modi held separate talks with Pezeshkian on Friday, stressing the need to protect freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers, a pointed reference to disruptions from the U.S.-Iran conflict.reuters

India's hosting of the summit underscores its efforts to position BRICS as a platform for economic cooperation rather than a geopolitical bloc aimed at the West, even as Russia and China push for a more confrontational posture. As The New York Times ↗ 0.47% framed it, the central question is who better represents the developing world — Xi or Modi — with China seeking to challenge American power and India working to avoid choosing sides.nytimes