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Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India for BRICS Summit on September 12-13, second trip to New Delhi in a year
Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to New Delhi to participate in the BRICS Summit 2026, scheduled to take place on September 12 and 13. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
The upcoming visit will be Putin’s second trip to India within a year. He had earlier visited New Delhi in December 2025 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, where he held discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on expanding cooperation between the two nations.
India to host BRICS Summit under its presidency
India is currently chairing the BRICS grouping for 2026 and is hosting several meetings and events linked to its presidency throughout the year. The summit in New Delhi is expected to bring together leaders of member nations to discuss economic cooperation, global governance reforms and key international challenges.
The previous BRICS Summit took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July 2025. The event was organised under the theme, ‘Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.’
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Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited India to attend the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting. During the visit, he also met Prime Minister Modi and discussed several regional and global developments, including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia.
What is BRICS?
BRICS is a major intergovernmental organisation formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa with the aim of strengthening cooperation in economic, political and social sectors among emerging economies.
The grouping represents a significant share of the global population and world economy. It focuses on increasing collaboration among developing nations and pushing for reforms in international financial and governance institutions.
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In recent years, BRICS has expanded further by including countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, increasing its influence across West Asia and Africa.
Why Russia remains important for India
Russia continues to play a major role in India’s foreign policy due to long-standing cooperation in defence, energy and strategic affairs. Even as India deepens its engagement with Western nations, Moscow remains an important partner for New Delhi.
A large share of India’s military equipment comes from Russia. Key defence systems used by the Indian Armed Forces include the S-400 Triumf, Sukhoi fighter aircraft and the jointly developed BrahMos missile system.
Over the years, Russia has remained one of India’s most reliable defence partners by supplying advanced military hardware, technology transfers and strategic support.
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Russia has also become increasingly important for India’s energy needs. After Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow following the Ukraine conflict, India significantly increased purchases of discounted Russian crude oil.
The imports helped India reduce the impact of rising global energy prices, stabilise fuel costs and manage inflation during a challenging economic period.
Strategic and geopolitical importance
India’s ties with Russia are also viewed as important from a geopolitical perspective. Maintaining strong relations with Moscow allows New Delhi to balance its strategic interests in an increasingly divided global environment.
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India also sees value in ensuring that Russia’s growing partnership with China does not turn into a grouping that could negatively affect Indian interests. In addition, Russia has consistently supported India on several key matters at the United Nations Security Council, providing backing from a permanent veto-holding member.
First published on: May 19, 2026 04:39 PM IST
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