New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday, a day before
the BRICS Summit.
The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen the India-Russia partnership across defence, energy, technology, trade, investment and critical minerals. The meeting began at around 3.30 pm.
It marked Putin’s first in-person participation at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the Ukraine war began in February 2022. The two-day summit will take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.
Trade target discussed
PM Modi and Putin discussed the target of increasing annual bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030. Industrial cooperation also formed part of the talks. The two sides explored collaboration in railways, tunnelling and the steel value chain. They also discussed plans to hold the INNOPROM industrial exhibition in India and create more business-to-business opportunities.
India has sought greater access for its products in the Russian market. Cooperation in critical minerals and the movement of more skilled Indian workers to Russia also featured in the discussions.
Energy and defence
Energy cooperation held particular importance as India sought stable fuel supplies amid the West Asia conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Russia remains a major supplier of energy and fertilisers to India. The two leaders also discussed defence cooperation and civil nuclear energy. India and Russia have maintained deep military ties for decades, with joint production and technology transfer forming a major part of their relationship.
The countries also explored stronger cooperation across the nuclear fuel and power plant life cycles. Strategic joint ventures in fertilisers were another area of focus.
Ukraine war discussed
The talks came days after Modi and Putin met during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek. At that meeting, Modi backed dialogue and diplomacy to resolve global conflicts. The two leaders also reviewed cooperation in defence, energy, space, mobility and people-to-people relations.
Putin last visited India in December 2025 for the India-Russia Annual Summit. The latest meeting came as the Ukraine war entered its fifth year and diplomatic efforts to secure peace made little progress.
Xi visit awaited
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS Summit on Saturday and Sunday. It will be his first visit to India since 2019. India and China have gradually resumed flights, visas and high-level contacts. However, the unresolved border dispute, widening trade deficit and regional rivalry continue to affect bilateral relations.
