BRICS Summit Opens in New Delhi as Modi Meets Putin, Xi and Pezeshkian
India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, with Putin, Xi and Pezeshkian among leaders attending a two-day meeting focused on trade and economic cooperation.
New Delhi is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam this weekend, with posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi lining the capital's streets and security forces deployed across the city as leaders of the expanded bloc arrive.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already reached the city for the meeting of the 11-member grouping. He and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Modi, with trade and economic ties expected to feature prominently.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is also visiting India after six years, following a chill in relations that set in after the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, in which 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese troops were killed. Ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have been warming again, with flights, visas and high-level contacts gradually being restored. Xi is expected to meet Modi on the sidelines of the two-day gathering.
BRICS was founded in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in institutions long dominated by Western powers. Its current membership comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The inclusion of Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE has brought together countries with sharply differing positions on the war launched by the United States and Israel in February, and discussions are expected to touch on those divisions as well as the war in Ukraine.
As 2026 chair, India has convened leaders of member and partner countries along with outreach invitees. The foreign ministry said the leaders will exchange views on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance.
In a post on X, Modi said he was confident the conference would feature positive and meaningful discussions on various issues, guided by the aspiration for global welfare. He also quoted a Sanskrit verse on engaging only with the virtuous.
Besides Putin, Xi and Pezeshkian, those attending include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to be represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, while the UAE is likely to send Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in place of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected to take part, though a formal announcement is pending.
The programme opens on Friday with an opening session, a thematic session, a lunch and a showcase of India's BRICS journey, followed by a leaders' session. Saturday's schedule includes a closed session on inclusive global governance and strengthening multilateralism, the Bharat Innovates exhibition, a family photograph, a joint tree plantation and a gala dinner hosted by the Prime Minister. On Sunday, leaders of partner countries and outreach invitees arrive for an open session on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
Delhi has been placed on high alert, with about 15,000 Delhi Police personnel, 200 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 500 CCTV cameras deployed. Traffic police said there will be no city-wide shutdown, but commuters should expect temporary stoppages, diversions and restrictions on VVIP routes, with more than 35 roads potentially affected, including Mathura Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Shanti Path, Janpath, Ashoka Road, Barakhamba Road, Tolstoy Marg, Africa Avenue Road, Niti Marg, Panchsheel Marg and APJ Abdul Kalam Road. Officials said stoppages during the movement of dignitaries will not have a fixed duration and vehicles will be released in phases. Surveillance will include high-resolution cameras, facial recognition systems and number-plate reading equipment, alongside enhanced access control and emergency response arrangements at the venue and hotels.