Putin Lands in India for Modi Talks as BRICS Summit 2026 Begins

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India in the early hours of Friday, ahead of a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled later in the day. The two leaders are set to hold talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit 2026, which is being hosted in India.

The meeting between Modi and Putin places one of India's most closely watched diplomatic engagements at the centre of the summit's opening day. Both leaders are expected to use the bilateral window to take stock of the relationship between their countries, even as the wider BRICS agenda unfolds around them.

In a parallel development, China has confirmed that President Xi Jinping will travel to India for the summit. The confirmation adds a second major head-of-state visit to the calendar, underscoring the scale of the gathering India is convening.

With Putin already on the ground and Xi's participation now officially acknowledged, the summit is drawing together leaders from across the BRICS grouping for a round of discussions that will run alongside a series of bilateral engagements.

Further details of the Modi-Putin talks and the summit's proceedings are expected to emerge through the day.