News Desk: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit India on September 12–13 to participate in the upcoming BRICS Summit, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, as reported by Russia’s state-run Tass news agency. Russia’s embassy in South Africa also confirmed the development on Tuesday.
During the visit, Putin is expected to hold high-level bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit, with discussions likely to focus on defence cooperation, energy ties, trade, connectivity, and evolving global geopolitical challenges.
⚡️President of Russia Vladimir #Putin will attend the #BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 – Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov pic.twitter.com/WCrrf0EQRC
— Russian Embassy in South Africa 🇷🇺 (@EmbassyofRussia) May 19, 2026
Second India Visit in Less Than a Year
The upcoming trip will mark Putin’s second visit to India within a year. The Russian leader last travelled to New Delhi on December 4–5, 2025, for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, which was his first visit to the South Asian nation since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted in 2022.
The renewed diplomatic engagement underscores the strategic depth of India-Russia relations at a time when global power alignments are rapidly shifting.
Visit Comes After Lavrov’s New Delhi Trip
Putin’s India visit comes shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended a key meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in New Delhi. The meeting reportedly focused on expanding economic cooperation among member nations, strengthening multilateral institutions, and addressing global security concerns.
Analysts believe the back-to-back high-level exchanges indicate Moscow’s continued push to deepen engagement with India and the wider Global South through the BRICS framework.
BRICS Expands Into a Major Global Bloc
Originally formed as BRIC in 2006 during a meeting of foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the grouping held its first summit in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.
The bloc expanded into BRICS in 2010 with the inclusion of South Africa. Over the years, it has evolved into one of the world’s most influential platforms representing emerging economies and developing nations.
The current BRICS members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
In 2025, countries including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam joined BRICS as partner countries, reflecting the grouping’s growing global influence.
The September summit in India is expected to draw significant international attention as BRICS nations push for a stronger voice in global political and economic governance amid rising geopolitical tensions.
