Putin Arrives in India for BRICS Summit, Meets PM Modi for Bilateral Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin , who is on a three-day visit to India, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday ahead of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The two leaders are slated to hold talks on the expansion of bilateral trade, investment and energy cooperation at 3:30 pm. The Russian leader will also address the plenary session of the ongoing BRICS Business Forum and visit the INNOPROM exhibition with PM Modi. “Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin of Russia for the 18th BRICS Summit. He was received by MoS K V Singh at the airport. India and Russia share multifaceted and longstanding ties anchored in Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. This will be Putin’s first in-person participation at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. The interaction comes mere days after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan — reviewing “the broader India-Russia bilateral relationship”. According to a statement issued by the Kremlin, Putin will address a plenary session of the annual BRICS Business Forum today and hold a bilateral meeting with Modi. He is also slated to visit the INNOPROM exhibition organised by the industry and trade ministries of both countries. The visit is expected to add fresh momentum to the India-Russia strategic partnership — with various defence upgrades in focus. The multitude of sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump and ongoing trade ties with Moscow are also likely to feature. The Summit in Delhi is taking place against the backdrop of a global economy facing the adverse impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, the West Asia crisis, especially the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump’s trade and tariff policies. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated during a recent briefing that military-technical cooperation will receive particular attention. The Russian official said his country was “ready to share” its military equipment with Indian partners. “Cooperation in the military field is a very sensitive sphere, and of course, no one would discuss it publicly and openly. But I would like to ensure you that we have lots of issues to be discussed in this in this context, and all these issues will be also high on the agenda during the visit,” news agency TASS quoted Peskov as adding. Russia has already laid out a wide-ranging defence agenda for India — offering domestic joint production of Su-57 fighter jets. Talks are also underway for a $11 billion offer to upgrade the Su-30MKI fleet into Super Sukhois. Indian authorities are also considering a Rs 50,000 crore bid from Moscow for the supply of five additional squadrons of its S-400 Sudarshan long-range air defence systems. Both sides are also eyeing negotiations for India’s plan to set up new civil nuclear reactors. Peskov also indicated interest in exploring ways to upgrade the existing BrahMos missile system during a recent briefing. “We have even gone further in this cooperation than just buying and selling: we are producing jointly. As you know, with BrahMos, we are producing missiles jointly. It is now time to think about improving those missiles, adding additional capabilities, and making them more competitive on the market and more effective,” he said during the virtual press briefing. https://twitter.com/ANI/status/2098277387150696902 "India is an important pillar of the intra-BRICS trade. Engineering goods and electronics account for the largest segment of India's manufactured exports. India is also known as the pharmacy of the world. We see BRICS as an important market for these and other products that India seeks to take to the world as a trusted partner. I urge BRICS member states and partner countries to open their markets while working together to simplify regulatory procedures and facilitate faster clearance of consignments," the Commerce Minister said. The BRICS business forum is underway ahead of the Summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin will address a plenary session of the annual event. Business and government leaders from various member countries are present. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal are among the speakers. Oil prices rose on Friday, and both major benchmarks are on track to end the week above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May, as increasing attacks along key shipping routes in the Middle East fuel fears of a prolonged disruption to supplies. According to price tracker GasBuddy, oil supply disruptions due to the US-Iran war and Ukrainian attacks on Russia's refineries pushed the US national average diesel price past $6 a gallon for the first time on Thursday. Russian Deputy PM Denis Manturov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have now arrived in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit. President Vladimir Putin will be accompanied by a high-level delegation as he holds crucial bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Putin is also slated to address the BRICS Business Forum. The discussions are expected to focus on strategic trade resilience, cross-border payment mechanisms, energy security, and conflict-resolution pathways regarding ongoing geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and West Asia. The summit in New Delhi is taking place against the backdrop of a global economy facing the adverse impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war and the West Asia crisis --- especially the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The evolving trade and tariff policies of the Donald Trump administration have also intensified global turbulence over the past two years. The United States had previously imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports over the continued purchase of Russian oil amidst the war with Ukraine. While this was later removed as part of an interim trade agreement, New Delhi now faces the prospect of a 100% levy for its oil ties to Moscow. Russia has already laid out a wide-ranging defence agenda for India — offering domestic joint production of Su-57 fighter jets. Talks are also underway for a $11 billion offer to upgrade the Su-30MKI fleet into Super Sukhois. Indian authorities are also considering a Rs 50,000 crore bid from Moscow for the supply of five additional squadrons of its S-400 Sudarshan long-range air defence systems. The $5.43 billion deal is one of the many projects and agreements underway between the two countries. Several licensed production agreements have been implemented with Russian companies in India for Sukhoi-30 aircraft, T-90 tanks, BMP-2 armoured personnel carriers and more. "In the coming days, leaders from around the world will gather for the BRICS Summit. There is full confidence that the summit will feature positive and meaningful discussions on various issues, with aspirations for global welfare," Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X. He posted a verse in Sanskrit while highlighting India's role as host of the BRICS Summit. According to reports citing the Kremlin, Russia will hold discussions with other BRICS+ partner countries ⁠on ​conducting trade settlements in digital ​currencies. A separate Reuters report suggested that India was also pushing a proposal to link central bank digital currencies across BRICS countries to facilitate cross-border payments Delhi Traffic Police has clarified that there will be no shutdown of the city, but commuters should expect temporary stoppages, diversions and restrictions on routes used by VVIP convoys. The National Capital is on high alert with tight security and temporary traffic curbs as India hosts top world leaders for the BRICS Summit at the Bharat Mandapam over the weekend. According to a PTI update, there are around 15,000 Delhi Police personnel, 200 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 500 CCTV cameras across the city. Officials told the publication that stoppages during the movement of foreign dignitaries will not have a fixed duration, and vehicles will be released in phases depending on the security situation and prevailing ground conditions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a three-day visit to India to participate in the BRICS summit. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today for talks to expand bilateral trade, investment and energy cooperation. It will be Putin's first in-person participation at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. "On September 11, Vladimir Putin will address the plenary session of the annual BRICS Business Forum, which traditionally precedes the summit and serves as an important platform for dialogue among business representatives from BRICS countries. On the same day, the President of Russia will hold a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, together with him, visit the INNOPROM exhibition, organised by the two countries’ ministries of industry and trade," read a statement from the Kremlin.