New Delhi is set to host the BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13, with several world leaders and senior delegations arriving in the national capital from late Thursday evening through early Friday morning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday for a three-day visit to India. He is scheduled to participate in the BRICS Summit and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss ways to expand bilateral trade, investment and energy cooperation.
Putin is accompanied by a high-level delegation. His visit marks his first in-person participation at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira also arrived in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. The Ministry of External Affairs announced Vieira’s arrival, saying he is representing Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the summit, as Lula remains in Brazil for his election campaign.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indonesian counterpart 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 summit.
India ready to assist in peace efforts, Modi tells Putin at bilateral meeting ahead of BRICS Summit
September 11, 2026 6:21 pm
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that India is ready to assist in peace efforts, reiterating that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward to resolve conflicts, as the two leaders discussed the wars in West Asia and the Black Sea region.
Delhi traffic curbs, diversions on Sept 12 evening for BRICS Summit
September 11, 2026 5:44 pm
Traffic restrictions, diversions and regulated movement will be enforced on several key roads in the national capital on September 12 in view of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, according to the Delhi Traffic Police.
BRICS should be a forum that is ‘non-West, but not anti-West’: Tharoor
September 11, 2026 5:14 pm
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said some countries other than India in BRICS are very happy to consider the grouping as an “anti-Western” platform and asserted that such an outlook was not in India’s national interest. Tharoor asserted that BRICS should be a forum that is “non-West, but not anti-West”. Speaking with PTI Videos, the former minister of state for external affairs also said hosting BRICS is a matter of “great prestige” for India with a dozen heads of state and government, not only members of BRICS but also some observers coming at presidential and prime ministerial level. PTI
PM Modi holds talks with President Putin; $100-billion bilateral trade target by 2030 figures
September 11, 2026 5:03 pm
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks in New Delhi on Friday, with an ambitious $100-billion bilateral trade target by 2030, expanded industrial cooperation and civil nuclear partnership among the key issues expected to figure in their discussions.
BRICS calls for bigger emerging-market voice in IMF, World Bank; criticises unilateral tariffs
September 11, 2026 4:48 pm
BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors called for greater representation of emerging-market and developing economies in the IMF and World Bank, and criticised unilateral tariffs and trade measures, as the expanded bloc sought to strengthen financial cooperation amid rising geopolitical and economic fragmentation. In a joint statement issued after meeting here, the ministers and central bank governors backed greater use of local currencies for trade and investment, and pushed ahead with work on cross-border payment systems. PTI
BRICS must work towards addressing economic hurdles: Jaishankar
September 11, 2026 1:08 pm
The BRICS must work towards addressing economic challenges by ensuring transparent trade and investment practices, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday. 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.
BRICS Summit 2026: Tibetan Youth Congress condemns Xi Jinping’s participation, accuses China of eroding Tibet’s identity
September 11, 2026 1:06 pm
The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) has strongly condemned Chinese President Xi Jinping’s participation in the BRICS Summit 2026 hosted by India, accusing his government of pursuing policies aimed at eroding Tibet’s cultural, religious and national identity.
Confident BRICS Summit will see positive talks on various issues: PM Modi
September 11, 2026 12:39 pm
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday exuded confidence that there will be positive and meaningful discussions at the BRICS Summit on various issues with a shared wish for global welfare.
BRICS Summit: Lutyens’ Delhi gets makeover with lights, flowers, themed signages
September 11, 2026 11:11 am
From illuminated roundabouts and floral displays to freshly landscaped roads and BRICS-themed signages, central Delhi has been given a makeover as the national capital hosts the BRICS Summit starting Friday.
PM Modi to meet Putin, Pezeshkian today; Xi talks tomorrow as BRICS summit begins
September 11, 2026 11:09 am
With New Delhi turning into a diplomatic hub ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, while a much-anticipated bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled for Saturday.
Delhi Metro services to start early on Sunday
September 11, 2026 9:55 am
Delhi Metro train services will begin at 6 am on all corridors on Sunday to facilitate the movement of students appearing for examinations and commuters amid traffic restrictions for the BRICS Summit, the DMRC said on Friday.
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov arrives in New Delhi
September 11, 2026 9:14 am
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit.
Union Ministers, Chief Ministers to travel together in a single bus for BRICS Summit 2026
September 11, 2026 8:34 am
Union Ministers and Chief Ministers attending the BRICS Summit 2026 are expected to travel together in a single bus from Parliament to the summit venue at Bharat Mandapam, sources said. According to sources, the participating Union Ministers and Chief Ministers will assemble at Parliament before proceeding together to Bharat Mandapam. The exact time for the leaders to assemble and depart from Parliament is yet to be finalised.
Security arrangements
September 11, 2026 8:33 am
Delhi Police has put in place a multi-layered security for the upcoming BRICS Summit, with around 15,000 personnel and 200 companies of paramilitary forces to be deployed across the national capital, a senior police officer said on Thursday. The police have also installed more than 500 CCTV cameras, including high-resolution and specialised surveillance cameras, to keep a round-the-clock watch over key areas. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also notified airspace restrictions around New Delhi ahead of the Brics Summit, barring non-scheduled flight operations from 7am to 11pm from September 11 to 13, people familiar with the matter said.
What’s on the agenda today?
September 11, 2026 8:33 am
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin are scheduled to hold wide-ranging bilateral talks on Friday afternoon. The meeting is expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in a range of areas, including defence, energy, technology, pharmaceuticals and people-to-people exchanges. Global corporate honchos representing China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Huawei Technologies, Alibaba group, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, and Embraer are expected to attend PM Modi’s address at the Brics Business Forum meeting on Friday evening. The Friday meetings are focused on — Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability — and are expected to be attended by about 1,000 foreign delegates, people aware of the development said, requesting anonymity as the nature of the programme is tentative. The opening session is expected to be addressed by commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal and external affairs minister S Jaishankar, they added.
