Modi-Putin Meet: India Pushes Dialogue as BRICS Confronts Global Turbulence
PM Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Bharat Mandapam on sidelines of BRICS 2026 on Friday in New Delhi (Image Modi on X)
By NIRENDRA DEV
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin reviewed defence, energy, trade and other areas of India-Russia cooperation as Modi reiterated India’s readiness to support peace efforts.
New Delhi, September 11, 2026 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that dialogue and diplomacy remain the way forward to resolve conflicts, while reiterating India’s readiness to assist international peace efforts as the two leaders reviewed the India-Russia strategic partnership.
According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, Modi and Putin held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral cooperation covering trade, energy, defence, space and people-to-people ties.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region.
“PM reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remains the way forward in resolving conflicts and India stands ready to assist in peace efforts,” Jaiswal said.
Following their bilateral meeting, Modi and Putin travelled together in the same car to the INNOPROM Industrial Exhibition at Bharat Mandapam, adding another visual element to the closely watched India-Russia engagement.
The joint visit comes as Moscow and New Delhi continue to emphasise the longstanding nature of their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
The bilateral agenda remains broad, with energy, defence and trade continuing to form important pillars of the relationship, even as India simultaneously maintains strategic partnerships with the United States, Europe and other major powers.
The diplomatic discussions unfolded against a wider BRICS agenda focused heavily on economic stability and global trade.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said BRICS must address rising global market volatility by promoting transparent and open trade and investment practices.
The objective, he indicated, is to strengthen economic stability among member countries at a time when global trade is being affected by geopolitical tensions, supply-chain disruptions and shifting economic policies.
Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India’s 2026 BRICS chairmanship is seeking to promote balanced trade and expand services trade.
Goyal also underlined the need to ensure that greater economic cooperation benefits farmers, women entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs and MSMEs.
The scale of the BRICS economic footprint has changed dramatically over the past two decades.
Merchandise exports from BRICS countries increased from around $900 billion in 2003 to nearly $6 trillion in 2024, while the grouping’s share of global merchandise exports doubled to approximately 24%, according to the figures cited at the forum.
For India, the challenge is now to translate that scale into stronger intra-BRICS trade, resilient supply chains and wider market opportunities.
The economic agenda is particularly significant as India seeks to balance its expanding commercial relationships with major BRICS economies with its broader trade relationships outside the grouping.
Egypt’s Sisi arrives for BRICS Summit
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also arrived in India to attend the BRICS Summit 2026.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth received the Egyptian leader at the airport, marking the beginning of his visit for the high-level gathering.
With the BRICS Summit bringing together major emerging economies amid geopolitical turbulence, India faces the dual task of preserving the grouping’s economic agenda while preventing wider international conflicts from overwhelming its institutional priorities.
Modi’s message to Putin — that diplomacy remains the route to resolving conflicts — fits into that larger Indian diplomatic approach.
For New Delhi, the immediate challenge is to keep strategic relationships intact while using platforms such as BRICS to promote dialogue, economic cooperation and greater stability in an increasingly fragmented global order.
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