Top News

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit New Delhi for the upcoming BRICS Summit 2026, scheduled to take place on September 12 and 13, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov announced on Tuesday.  

In less than a year, this will be Putin's second trip to India. He had earlier visited New Delhi in December of last year to take part in the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, when he spoke with Narendra Modi about strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations.

India To Host 18th BRICS Gathering In New Delhi

India is preparing to host the 18th edition of the BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi as part of its presidency of the bloc. The high-level summit will be led by external affairs ministers S. Jaishankar and is anticipated to bring together foreign ministers and senior officials from BRICS member countries as well as partner nations.

The summit is being organised while India holds the BRICS chairmanship for 2026. During this presidency, several BRICS-related gatherings and activities are held all year round in various regions of the nation.

Last Summit Focused On Global South Cooperation

The previous BRICS Summit took place in Rio de Janeiro in July under the theme, “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance". The meeting's main objectives was to increase developing economies' collaboration and bolster the Global South's influence in global governance.

Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, traveled to India earlier this month to attend the meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers. Lavrov met with Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi during his tour and discussed a number of regional and international issues, such as the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine.

What Exactly Is BRICS?

BRICS is a major global organisation initially formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa with the aim of boosting economic, political, and social cooperation among emerging economies.

Both the global GDP and the world's population are substantially represented by this group. BRICS has centered on strengthening economic ties outside of conventional Western-led systems, boosting cooperation among developing countries, and reforming international financial institutions over the years.

With the addition of additional members like Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, the alliance has grown even more, increasing its influence throughout Africa and West Asia.

Why India-Russia Ties Still Matter

India and Russia continue to share deep strategic ties, especially in the defense sector. Moscow continues to be India's biggest defense supplier even if the country's reliance on Russian arms supplies has decreased recently.

The Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, which is said to have been crucial to India during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, is one of the most notable instances of this collaboration.