New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday shared warm moments with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping as the 18th BRICS Summit began at Bharat Mandapam under India's chairship.
In visuals shared on social media, PM Modi was seen greeting both leaders together, holding their hands and sharing smiles. The images reflected personal camaraderie and convergence among the three leaders as the expanded BRICS entered its third decade.
In another picture, PM Modi was seen walking alongside Putin, Xi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The Prime Minister also shared a picture of himself interacting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, with Putin standing beside them, while another showed PM Modi walking alongside Putin and smiling.
The BRICS Summit is being hosted by India on September 12-13 under its 2026 chairship, with the grouping entering its third decade. Earlier in the day, PM Modi welcomed BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the summit. The leaders were welcomed against the backdrop of the iconic Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
PM Modi on Friday held separate meetings with Putin and Pezeshkian, met United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and addressed the BRICS Business Forum as part of a day of intensive diplomatic engagements. The meeting with Putin was the second between the two leaders this year. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders had earlier met on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek in August.
The two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to-people domains. They also discussed India's BRICS chairship, India-Russia engagement in the multilateral sphere and key regional and global issues, including conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region.
PM Modi also highlighted the growing economic partnership between India and Russia after the two leaders participated in the INNOPROM industrial exhibition at Bharat Mandapam. "The India-Russia economic partnership continues to gather momentum. In Delhi, President Putin and I participated in INNOPROM, bringing together several companies from both countries. It reflects the growing depth of our business engagement," PM Modi said in a post on X.
The two leaders had travelled together by car to Bharat Mandapam after their bilateral talks before visiting the exhibition. During their meeting, they discussed an ambitious target of taking India-Russia bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030. PM Modi also gifted Putin a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the classical Tamil scripture composed by the weaver-saint Thiruvalluvar.
"Two thousand years ago, Thiruvalluvar wrote the Thirukkural. It includes the entire gamut of human life. It has been translated into the Russian language. I am confident that the people-to-people contact will increase with the translation of the Thirukkural into Russian, which will play a big role in strengthening our relations," Modi told Putin.
In another post, the Prime Minister said, "Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders." Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the summit and was welcomed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. PM Modi also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, continuing discussions from their meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek.
According to the MEA, the two leaders discussed various aspects of bilateral relations, with Modi thanking Iran for its regular, high-level participation in BRICS-related meetings despite challenging circumstances. PM Modi also thanked Pezeshkian for participating in the Leaders' Session of the BRICS Business Forum and noted the potential of BRICS to build resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability among countries of the Global South.
The two leaders also exchanged views on the conflict in West Asia. PM Modi reiterated India's consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and underscored the need for continued efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region, including freedom of navigation and commerce and the safety and well-being of seafarers.
"From Bishkek to Delhi, the productive discussions continue. Happy to have met Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran. This visit is more special because it is his first visit to India. We talked about the India-Iran friendship. We believe that we should move forward with a long-term and win-win strategy. The prevailing situation in the region was also discussed. India remains steadfast in its commitment to the pursuit of enduring peace," Modi said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, BRICS countries reached consensus on a Joint Statement after intensive negotiations that continued until 4 AM on Saturday. The negotiations saw differences on several contentious issues, with India leading consultations to bridge competing positions and build consensus among members.
The consensus assumes significance as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are all part of the same forum despite differences and competing positions on several regional and geopolitical issues. Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions in West Asia, securing consensus among the member countries presented a complex diplomatic challenge.
BRICS has emerged as a key platform for coordinating economic policy among major emerging economies and shaping common positions on global governance. Its agenda spans development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges, while providing a platform for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions.
India's chairship of the 18th BRICS Summit is guided by the theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." The theme reflects India's focus on development, sustainability, innovation and institutional effectiveness while highlighting the aspirations of the Global South. India assumed the BRICS chairship for 2026 and has placed emphasis on sustainable development, economic growth, technology, climate action and strengthening partnerships among developing countries.