Modi and Putin meet in Delhi as India prepares for BRICS summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Delhi ahead of the 18th BRICS summit, discussing trade and strategic cooperation.
In Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Bharat Mandapam as part of preparations for the upcoming 18th BRICS summit. Their talks aimed at raising annual India-Russia trade to USD 100 billion by 2030 and deepening collaboration in defence, energy, critical minerals and fertiliser sectors. Putin’s three-day visit coincides with the high-profile summit that will be hosted by the national capital.
Domestic political tension surfaced when Congress MP P Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits of the summit, prompting a rebuttal from fellow Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who praised India’s diplomatic clout. In parallel, activist Abhijit Dipke warned the government against forcibly removing protester Manoj Jarange Patil, while student Nishu Azad complained of inadequate security despite a Supreme Court directive. These developments highlight both the international focus on the summit and the simmering domestic controversies.
Why it matters
The Modi-Putin meeting signals India's strategic alignment ahead of a major multilateral summit and sparks domestic political debate.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage centers on Modi's meeting with Putin, trade goals and domestic political debate, while right-leaning coverage highlights unrelated regional issues such as the jailing of June 4 vigil organizers, European business praise, and Xi-Modi talks.
LEFT
Frames the story around the India-Russia summit preparation, emphasizing trade targets, defence and energy cooperation, and internal political commentary.
RIGHT
Frames the story within a broader regional context, stressing human-rights-related arrests, foreign business optimism, and upcoming Xi-Modi discussions.
The left emphasises
- aimed at raising annual India-Russia trade to USD 100 billion by 2030
- deepening collaboration in defence, energy, critical minerals and fertiliser sectors
- Domestic political tension surfaced when Congress MP P Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits of the summit
The right emphasises
- Three former organizers of June 4 vigils received prison terms for subversion
- European visitors highlighted business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area
- plans are under way for Xi Jinping to meet Narendra Modi at the upcoming BRICS summit
How this story developed
- Sep 4 India Hosts 2026 BRICS Leaders Summit with Global Leaders in New Delhi
- Sep 9 A bilateral meeting between Modi and Putin has been added to the summit agenda.
- Sep 9 India is positioning the summit as a development‑oriented bridge and has set aside the idea of a shared BRICS currency.
- Sep 10 India’s chairmanship delivered 20 sector‑specific agreements on SMEs, startups and supply‑chain resilience.
- Sep 10 Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the summit, marking his first visit to India since 2019.
- Sep 10 India deploys roughly 25,000 security personnel and implements traffic diversions ahead of the summit.
- Sep 11 Delhi traffic to be rerouted from 2 pm to 8:30 pm on Friday for the BRICS summit.
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