India is preparing to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on September 12-13, marking a significant diplomatic event for the country as it holds the chairmanship of the bloc this year. This annual summit will gather leaders from the BRICS nations, a group originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, which has since expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
The Kremlin confirmed Putin’s attendance, highlighting the importance of this gathering of emerging global powers. During the summit, a bilateral meeting between President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to take place, adding another layer of international diplomacy to the event.
President Putin’s visit will be his first to India since December 2025, when he attended the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. This visit underscores the ongoing partnership and dialogue between Russia and India, as both nations continue to engage in multilateral forums like BRICS, which represents a collective that accounts for nearly half of the world’s population, approximately 40% of global GDP, and around 26% of global trade.
Earlier this month, New Delhi also hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for a two-day BRICS conclave, setting the stage for the upcoming summit. The expansion of BRICS in recent years reflects its growing influence as a major platform for leaders of emerging economies to collaborate on global economic and political issues.