Putin Arrives in India for 18th BRICS Summit, Bilateral Talks with PM Modi Scheduled

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India on Friday (11 September 2026) at 3 am to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. On his arrival in New Delhi, he was accorded a warm welcome by the Indian officials. Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore received the Russian President at Palam Airport. Putin is scheduled to have an important bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (11 September 2026). Issues related to defence, energy, trade, technology and strategic cooperation between India and Russia are likely to be discussed in this dialogue. After Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping will also arrive in India on 12 September. His visit to India is taking place after a gap of almost 7 years. Prime Minister Modi and Xi Jinping are also scheduled to hold separate bilateral talks during BRICS. Trade and border issues between the two countries could be important in this dialogue. MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal tweeted, "Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin for Russia and Russia for the 18th edition of the BRICS Special G20 Summit" and MoS Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the airport.