Putin to travel to India in September to attend BRICS Leaders’ Summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin is confirmed to visit India on September 12–13, 2026 for the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, as confirmed by a Krem...
What Happened
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is confirmed to visit India on September 12–13, 2026 for the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, as confirmed by a Kremlin aide.
- India holds the BRICS Chairmanship for 2026 under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
- This will mark Putin's second visit to India within a year; he previously visited New Delhi on December 4–5, 2025 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit — his first visit since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited India earlier in May 2026 for the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting and held bilateral talks with the Prime Minister.
- Bilateral talks between the two leaders are expected alongside the summit, with discussions likely to cover defence, energy, and global geopolitical developments.
Static Topic Bridges
BRICS — Origins, Expansion, and Structure
BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies. The acronym BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001 to describe economies projected to dominate global growth. The first BRIC Leaders' Summit was held in 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. South Africa joined in 2011, making it BRICS.
In 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE formally joined, expanding BRICS to nine full members. Indonesia joined as the 10th full member in January 2025. BRICS also created a new "partner country" category at the 2024 Kazan Summit, with 13 countries offered this status. The grouping collectively represents over half the world's population and approximately 41% of global GDP (purchasing power parity).
- BRICS has no formal charter or permanent secretariat; coordination is managed by annual rotating presidencies.
- Key institutions include the New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai (est. 2015), and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), a financial safety net for member economies.
- India hosted the 15th BRICS Summit in 2021 (virtual) and now chairs the 18th Summit in 2026.
- BRICS functions on consensus and operates outside the UN or Bretton Woods architecture, positioning itself as a voice of the Global South.
Connection to this news: India's 2026 BRICS Chairmanship and the upcoming Leaders' Summit represent a major multilateral diplomatic event. Putin's confirmed attendance signals continued Russia-India strategic engagement despite Western pressure on both countries to isolate Russia.
India-Russia Strategic Partnership
India and Russia have maintained a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" formalised in 2010, built on five decades of defence, energy, and diplomatic cooperation. The relationship is institutionalised through Annual Summits between the two leaders, the last of which was held in December 2025 in New Delhi.
- Russia remains India's largest defence supplier, accounting for historically over 60% of India's defence imports, though this share is declining as India diversifies.
- India imports Russian crude oil under discounted arrangements, a trend that intensified post-2022 sanctions; Russia became India's top crude oil supplier in 2023.
- The two countries cooperate on civilian nuclear energy — the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu is a flagship project.
- India has consistently abstained on UN General Assembly resolutions calling for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, citing strategic autonomy.
Connection to this news: Putin's visit reinforces India's multi-alignment foreign policy — maintaining strong ties with Russia while simultaneously deepening partnerships with Western countries and the Quad.
India's BRICS Chairmanship 2026
As BRICS chair in 2026, India sets the agenda, hosts all ministerial meetings, and organises the Leaders' Summit. The 2026 theme focuses on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability — reflecting India's priorities of inclusive multilateralism and reform of global governance institutions.
- The BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in New Delhi on May 14–15, 2026, hosted by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
- India's chairmanship agenda includes reforming the UN Security Council, expanding South-South cooperation, and strengthening the NDB.
- India's BRICS presidency follows South Africa (2023) and Russia (2024), and precedes Brazil (2025 was the Brazil presidency).
Connection to this news: Hosting the BRICS Leaders' Summit with attendance confirmed by leaders including Putin elevates India's profile as a convening power in the Global South.
Key Facts & Data
- BRICS founded: 2009 (as BRIC); South Africa joined 2011
- Current full members (10): Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia
- New Development Bank (NDB) established: 2015; headquartered in Shanghai
- India's BRICS 2026 theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"
- Putin's last India visit before 2025: 2021 (virtual due to COVID-19)
- BRICS Leaders' Summit 2026: September 12–13, New Delhi
- India-Russia Annual Summit frequency: Annual; 23rd edition held December 2025
- BRICS share of global GDP (PPP): approximately 41%; share of global population: over 50%