Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to New Delhi to participate in the BRICS Summit 2026, scheduled to be held on September 12 and 13, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed on Tuesday. The visit will be Putin’s second trip to India within a year, underlining the continuing strategic partnership between the two countries.
Putin had earlier visited India in December during the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, where he held extensive discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on expanding bilateral cooperation across key sectors.
India is currently chairing the BRICS grouping for 2026 and is hosting several events linked to the bloc throughout the year. The previous BRICS Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July with a focus on strengthening cooperation among Global South nations.
Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited India for the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting and held talks with Modi on regional and global developments, including the Ukraine conflict and the West Asia situation.
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded significantly with the inclusion of countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Russia remains a crucial strategic partner for India, particularly in defence, energy security and geopolitical coordination. Moscow continues to supply major military platforms to India, while discounted Russian crude imports have also played a key role in stabilising India’s energy needs amid global uncertainty.
