Russian President Vladimir Putin began a three-day India visit to attend the BRICS Summit and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday for a three-day visit to India, marking his return to an in-person BRICS summit outside Russia for the first time since the Ukraine war began in February 2022.

Putin, accompanied by a high-level delegation, will participate in the 18th BRICS Summit and hold wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to the longstanding strategic relationship between India and Russia.

The Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the Russian leader on his arrival. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Putin was received at the airport by Minister of State K V Singh and highlighted the multifaceted ties between India and Russia under their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

Putin’s arrival assumes significance amid continuing international tensions linked to the Russia-Ukraine war. His participation will be closely watched because it is his first physical appearance at a BRICS summit hosted outside Russia since the conflict began.

India has maintained its engagement with Moscow while repeatedly calling for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the war. New Delhi and Moscow have continued cooperation across defence, energy, trade and other strategic sectors despite changing global alignments.

Putin’s presence also underlines the importance Russia attaches to BRICS as a platform for emerging economies. The grouping is seeking a stronger voice in international governance while expanding cooperation in development, technology, trade and financial coordination.

Putin and Modi are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions on Friday afternoon. The meeting is expected to focus on ways to expand trade, investment and energy cooperation between the two countries. Defence collaboration, technology, pharmaceuticals and people-to-people exchanges are also likely to feature prominently in the talks. Both sides may review existing projects and identify new areas for cooperation as they seek to strengthen their strategic partnership.

Energy remains an important pillar of India-Russia relations, while defence ties have historically played a major role in bilateral engagement. Technology and pharmaceutical cooperation could offer additional opportunities for future partnerships. The meeting will allow the two leaders to exchange views on regional and international developments as well. Their discussions come at a time when the global economy is facing pressures from armed conflicts, trade disputes and disruptions to important energy and supply routes.

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The two-day BRICS Summit, beginning Saturday in New Delhi, is expected to focus on strengthening collective resilience in food security, energy, healthcare, disaster-risk reduction and critical supply chains.

India is positioning BRICS as an effective platform for navigating an increasingly fragmented geopolitical and economic environment. Discussions are likely to examine how member countries can improve coordination and protect developing economies from global shocks.

The summit is being held against the backdrop of the continuing Russia-Ukraine war, the crisis in West Asia, disruption linked to the Strait of Hormuz and the trade and tariff policies pursued by the Trump administration.

These developments have increased uncertainty across global markets and placed pressure on energy security, shipping, trade flows and supply chains. BRICS leaders are expected to explore common approaches that promote stability, economic cooperation and sustainable development.

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Several prominent leaders are expected to participate in the New Delhi summit. The attendees include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung are also among the leaders attending the meeting.

The presence of a large group of international leaders gives India an opportunity to shape discussions on issues affecting the Global South. For Russia, the summit provides a platform to strengthen partnerships beyond the West and reinforce its engagement with major emerging economies. Putin’s bilateral meeting with Modi is likely to be one of the key diplomatic engagements held on the sidelines of the summit, with trade, energy and strategic cooperation expected to dominate the agenda.