Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi. | PTI
BRICS LIVE: Modi, Putin hold extensive talks on trade and defence
Two-day summit starting Saturday is expected to focus on boosting collective resilience in food, energy, health, disaster reduction and critical supply chains
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (September 11) exuded confidence that there will be positive and meaningful discussions at the BRICS Summit on various issues with a shared wish for global welfare.
"Over the next few days, leaders from around the world will gather for the BRICS Summit. I am fully confident that there will be positive and meaningful discussions on various issues with a shared wish for global welfare," Modi said in a post on X.
Also read: SCO and BRICS, yes, but is it time for India to revive SAARC?
India is leveraging the two-day BRICS summit starting Saturday (September 12) to position the grouping as a complementary engine for economic growth while championing the Global South's core developmental priorities – most notably safeguarding food, energy, and supply chain security.
The summit 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 the Trump administration’s trade and tariff policies.
Who are attending?
The summit will be attended by leaders of 11 member countries and 10 partner countries besides some international organisations including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian.
With New Delhi putting the finishing touches on the summit, China has confirmed President Xi Jinping's attendance, marking his first trip to India after a seven-year gap, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has already landed in India and is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Friday.
Besides Putin and Xi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung are among the top leaders attending the crucial meet in Delhi.
Chinese President Xi will also hold talks with Modi during his two-day visit - September 12 and 13 – to the Indian capital.
Delhi on high alert
With around 15,000 Delhi Police personnel, 200 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 500 CCTV cameras across Delhi, the capital is under a thick blanket of security for the two-day 18th BRICS Summit starting Saturday.
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.
Traffic will continue to move normally wherever security arrangements permit, officials said, adding 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.
Arrangements have been put in place to ensure maximum security for the visiting dignitaries while causing minimum inconvenience to the public, officials said.
Read our BRICS stories here:
India's BRICS tightrope: Navigating China, Trump, and Middle East crises SCO and BRICS, yes, but is it time for India to revive SAARC?
Delhi: BRICS Summit to focus on building collective resilience amid global crises
Modi-Putin meeting at BRICS Summit: Trade, ties, defence and Ukraine likely on agenda
Why upcoming SCO and BRICS summits are thorny for India
Follow this space for more live updates
Live Updates
- 11 Sept 2026 3:20 PM IST
37 deep-tech innovations on display at Bharat Innovates Exposition on Sept 11-12
India's 37 deep-tech innovations are being showcased at the 'Bharat Innovates Exposition' at Bharat Mandapam here from September 11 to 12 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, officials said on Friday.
Advanced floating solar PV platform for complex water bodies, full stack marine robotic platform for critical infrastructure inspection, rare earth free e-powertrain, AI-enabled cervical cancer screening delivering risk assessment in under 60 seconds and AI-enabled foetal monitoring platform are among the innovations on display at the exposition organised by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Bharat Innovates is a flagship programme of the MoE. It is designed as a global accelerator for innovations from the Indian higher education ecosystem -- building a long-term collaboration between India's innovation ecosystem (start-ups, Higher Education Institutions, labs and research parks) and global stakeholders (corporates, investors, incubators or accelerators, universities, research institutes, governments and overseas alumni).
"The BRICS Bharat Innovates (BBI) Exposition at Bharat Mandapam marks the second major exposition of India's deep-tech start-ups in 2026 after the maiden edition of Bharat Innovates that was held in Nice, France from 14-16 June 2026," the MoE said in a statement.
"BBI is showcasing 37 of India's deep-tech start-ups/ventures (out of the original cohort of 120 start-ups or ventures that participated in BI2026, Nice), aligning with the theme of India's BRICS Chairship -- 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'," it said.
The exposition is being held alongside BRICS Business Forum, providing participating innovators an opportunity to network with CEOs, investors, business leaders and industry representatives from BRICS member countries. This will facilitate opportunities for B2B engagements, technology partnerships, investment discussions, business linkages and international market access.
- 11 Sept 2026 3:19 PM IST
Xi Jinping, Putin, Pezeshkian among key leaders attending
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, with several prominent leaders and senior officials from the expanded grouping scheduled to attend.
Xi Jinping: The Chinese President will attend the summit and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Xi last visited India in 2019 for an informal summit with Modi in Mamallapuram near Chennai.
Vladimir Putin: The Russian President will attend the summit and hold bilateral talks with PM Modi. Russia is also a founding member of BRICS.
Masoud Pezeshkian: The Iranian President will attend the summit and hold bilateral talks with Modi. His participation comes amid the ongoing situation in West Asia, and his visit is expected to be keenly watched in both New Delhi and Washington.
Cyril Ramaphosa: The President of South Africa will attend the BRICS summit and is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Modi.
Other prominent attendees include Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt; Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia, who was the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 2025; Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia; Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; and Mauro Vieira, Brazil's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- 11 Sept 2026 2:54 PM IST
BRICS Summit: Pezeshkian calls for new approaches to counter unilateralism
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed Tehran for New Delhi on Friday to attend the BRICS Summit. He will also hold a bilateral meeting with PM Modi later in the day.
Speaking ahead of his departure the Iranian President said. "The goal of BRICS is to confront unilateralism, and the slogan of the current summit is also within this framework, and we hope to get closer to this goal day by day. Of course, we know that economic issues are complex and we need new approaches to reduce totalitarianism and unilateralism in the world."
"A special bank has been formed within the BRICS framework, and we are going to see investment from countries so that interactions between countries and members can be carried out without dependence on the dollar, thus reducing America's totalitarianism with the dollar," he added.
- 11 Sept 2026 2:46 PM IST
BRICS summit: How Delhi hotels are giving delegates a taste of India
The BRICS summit is turning some of Delhi’s luxury hotels into showcases of Indian hospitality, with visiting leaders and delegations being welcomed with carefully curated menus, regional delicacies and personalised culinary touches. Hotels are going beyond standard hospitality, using food to offer guests a taste of India while accommodating their cultural and dietary preferences.
According to an India Today report, here’s what some of the hotels are serving:
• The LaLiT New Delhi: Galouti kebabs, tandoor-baked breads and a millet-focused menu, alongside specially created dishes such as braised eggplant with miso paste, simmered Chinese cabbage and kidney bean sweet Japanese style with amber sauce.
• The Leela Palace New Delhi: A selection of Indian and international flavours, with millet cookies, handmade granola bars, wellness infusions and an edible lotus flavoured with rose, saffron and cardamom, served with indigenous Indian fruits.
• Taj Mahal, New Delhi: Its ‘Tradition to Table’ collection features recipes inspired by chefs’ mothers, with savoury bites from six regions, including spiced walnuts from Kashmir, Purani Dilli Maida Kaju, Maharashtra’s bhakarwadi, Rajasthan’s mini kachori, Bengal’s kucho nimki and Tamil Nadu’s murukku.
• The broader idea: From regional snacks to handcrafted edible creations, Delhi’s hotels are using BRICS hospitality to offer delegates a culinary introduction to India, giving them something distinctly Indian to take away from their visit.
- 11 Sept 2026 1:27 PM IST
BRICS should deepen banking links to boost local currency trade: Experts
BRICS countries can strengthen trade in local currencies and facilitate cross-border investments by deepening financial markets, strengthening banking linkages and putting in place robust risk-management mechanisms, experts said.
They also said that linking fast-payment platforms and exploring interoperability among Central Bank Digital Currencies could make cross-border transactions faster, cheaper, and more secure.
"One of the ways to establish this (strengthen trade in local currencies and facilitate cross-border investments) objective is to build on commitments to expand the use of local currencies in trade and investment, greater use of national currencies can support this objective, provided it is accompanied by deeper financial markets, stronger banking linkages, and robust risk-management mechanisms," Anil Talreja, Partner, Deloitte, said.
Talreja also said that the member countries should focus on building an enabling trade architecture by reducing non-tariff barriers through harmonized standards, mutual recognition of certifications, simplified customs procedures, and greater regulatory transparency.
Industry body ASSOCHAM President Nirmal Kumar Minda said that BRICS has emerged as a powerful platform for economic cooperation. "The next phase should focus on deepening trade and investment through greater trust, transparency and business-to-business partnerships," Minda said.
He added that stronger engagement among BRICS economies can unlock new opportunities, strengthen resilience, accelerate economic diversification and contribute significantly to shaping a more balanced and inclusive new world economic order.
- 11 Sept 2026 1:22 PM IST
Ramaphosa arrives in Delhi, eyes stronger BRICS trade, investment ties
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Delhi for the BRICS summit. He was received by Minister of State, His Excellency Jayant Singh.
South Africa will use the Summit to advance its diplomatic and economic priorities, focusing on boosting intra-BRICS trade and investment, promoting industrialisation and value addition, and attracting investment in African infrastructure aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ramaphosa said in an X post.His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa arrives at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, Republic of India, where he is received by Minister of State, His Excellency Jayant Singh, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) September 11, 2026
The Summit will take place from 12–13 September 2026… pic.twitter.com/o6FWy9sr4H - 11 Sept 2026 1:16 PM IST
EAM Jaishankar calls for transparent trade, investment practices at BRICS
The BRICS must work towards addressing economic challenges by ensuring transparent trade and investment practices, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday (September 11).
Addressing the BRICS Business Forum, he also spoke about geopolitical upheavals and underlined the need for concerted efforts to address supply chain disruptions, genuine market practices, dependable logistics, predictable business environment, diversified commercial relationships, and transparent trade and investment.
"The common thread is how to make it easier for businesses in our countries to find more partners, access more markets, connect supply networks and convert complementarities into viable commercial partnerships," he said.
"For BRICS particularly, higher economic activity and higher economic security mean greater self-reliance. The objective is to strengthen our ability to absorb shocks while remaining connected and competitive," he said.
Jaishankar said the situation calls for genuine market practices, dependable logistics, a predictable business environment, diversified commercial relationships, and transparent trade and investment.
"It also calls for energy systems capable of coping with disruption and transition pathways that are suited to different national circumstances," he said.
- 11 Sept 2026 12:26 PM IST
Modi says BRICS Summit will see ‘positive, meaningful’ discussions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi exuded confidence that there will be positive and meaningful discussions at the BRICS Summit on various issues with a shared wish for global welfare.
"Over the next few days, leaders from around the world will gather for the BRICS Summit. I am fully confident that there will be positive and meaningful discussions on various issues with a shared wish for global welfare," Modi said in a post on X.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among those attending the summit. - 11 Sept 2026 12:23 PM IST
PM Modi’s three-day bilateral meeting schedule
Bilateral meetings of dignitaries with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu on 11th September:
PM's meeting with Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
PM’s meeting with Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran
PM’s meeting with Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of United NationsBilateral meetings of dignitaries with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu on 12th September:
PM’s meeting with Abiy Ahmed Ali, PM of Ethiopia
PM’s meeting with Anwar Ibrahim, PM of Malaysia
PM’s meeting with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
PM’s meeting with Le Minh Hung, PM of Vietnam
President’s Meeting with Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran
PM’s meeting with Xi Jinping, President of ChinaBilateral meetings of dignitaries with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu on 13th September:
PM’s meeting with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan
PM’s meeting with Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., President of Philippines
PM’s meeting with Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt
PM’s meeting with Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa
PM's meeting with Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi
PM’s meeting with Sen. Kashim Shettima, Vice President of Nigeria
PM’s meeting with Jessica Alupo, Vice President of Uganda - 11 Sept 2026 12:19 PM IST
Delhi Metro services to start early on Sunday
Delhi Metro train services will begin at 6 am on all corridors on Sunday (September 13) to facilitate the movement of students appearing for examinations and commuters amid traffic restrictions for the BRICS Summit, the DMRC said on Friday (September 11).
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a post on X, "To facilitate the smooth and timely movement of students appearing for examinations and the general public amid traffic restrictions due to the BRICS Summit, Metro train services will commence at 6 am on all lines on Sunday." The early commencement of services on Sunday would help ensure smooth and timely travel for candidates appearing in examinations as well as the general public, it said.
Students and other passengers have been advised to plan their journeys accordingly in view of the traffic restrictions in parts of the city during the summit, it added.
