Russian President Vladimir Putin met Modi on Friday, a day before the leaders’ summit, and the two reviewed cooperation spanning trade, defence, energy, space, mobility and multilateral coordination. They also discussed the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030 and reaffirmed their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
The meeting underscored that Moscow remains an important partner for New Delhi even as Russia’s relationship with China has expanded across energy, trade, diplomacy and security. Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bishkek on August 31, less than two weeks before the New Delhi summit, with both sides pledging stronger coordination in BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and other multilateral forums.
Xi arrived for the two-day BRICS gathering after China confirmed that a bilateral meeting with Modi was being arranged. It is Xi’s first visit to India in seven years and comes as the two governments seek to stabilise relations after years of strain following the 2020 border clash.
New Delhi and Beijing have taken steps to improve ties since a disengagement agreement in 2024 eased friction at key points along the disputed frontier. Direct flights have resumed, visa processes have been loosened and some business restrictions have been eased. However, troop deployments remain, territorial disputes are unresolved and investment and technology links continue to face security scrutiny.
That makes the summit a test of India’s preference for strategic autonomy. Modi is seeking to keep Russia close without appearing to endorse Moscow’s sharper geopolitical alignment with Beijing, while engaging Xi without diluting India’s security concerns or its relations with the United States, Europe and Indo-Pacific partners.
Russia and China have broadened their partnership during the Ukraine war and amid growing confrontation with Western powers. During Putin’s state visit to China in May, the two countries agreed to deepen their strategic coordination, expand cooperation in energy, trade, investment, transport, science and technology, and work more closely in BRICS and other institutions.
Xi and Putin again described their relationship in expansive terms during their August meeting in Bishkek. China said the partnership had maintained strong momentum, while Putin said Russia-China relations had become a model for relations between major states. Both governments have also promoted a more multipolar international system and criticised sanctions and economic pressure imposed outside United Nations frameworks.
India shares some of that language on reforming global governance, but its interests do not fully overlap with either Moscow or Beijing. New Delhi supports a stronger voice for developing economies and reform of institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, yet it has resisted turning BRICS into an explicitly anti-Western grouping.
Economic ties with Russia remain. Bilateral trade has climbed sharply since 2022, driven largely by India’s purchases of Russian oil, while the two governments are working towards trade of more than $100 billion by 2030 and wider use of national currencies in settlements.
The imbalance in that trade remains a concern for New Delhi, which is pressing for higher exports and greater Russian investment. Modi and Putin have also discussed infrastructure, industrial cooperation and technology partnerships intended to broaden the relationship beyond hydrocarbons and defence.
China presents a different challenge. It is a far larger trading partner and a supplier for manufacturing, but New Delhi remains wary of dependence in strategic sectors. Bilateral commerce has expanded even as political trust has recovered only gradually.
The BRICS agenda gives Modi room to work with both powers on less contentious areas. Finance ministers and central bank governors have backed faster cross-border payments, greater use of local currencies and reform of global development institutions, while the leaders are expected to discuss trade, energy security, technology and conflicts affecting global commerce.
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