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Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in New Delhi on Friday to take part in a high-stakes BRICS summit, convening leaders from an expanded 11-member bloc against a backdrop of severe geopolitical tensions. The two-day gathering of major emerging economies is poised to be dominated by the protracted conflict in Ukraine and the escalating war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, alongside pressing global economic strains.
Upon his arrival at the Palam Air Force Station in the Indian capital, the Russian head of state was received by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in scenes broadcast by the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti. Ahead of the diplomatic arrivals, the host city implemented stringent security measures, deploying extensive security personnel across central districts and rolling out widespread vehicular restrictions, while local law enforcement appealed to residents for patience.
The summit provides a platform for extensive bilateral diplomacy on its sidelines. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold separate direct discussions with both Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. In addition, Chinese President Xi Jinping is anticipated to engage in sideline talks with the Indian premier, underscoring the summit's role as a major venue for high-level statecraft.
Originally established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, and soon joined by South Africa, the BRICS coalition was designed to give leading emerging markets a more prominent voice and counter the long-standing dominance of Western-led global institutions. Over the years, the group sought to build alternative economic frameworks and amplify the concerns of developing nations on the international stage.
However, the recent enlargement of the bloc to 11 nations—bringing in Middle Eastern powers including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—has introduced sharp internal divisions. The newly inducted members hold contrasting geopolitical alignments and perspectives, particularly regarding the US-Israel military campaign launched against Iran earlier this year in February.
These divergent stances have raised questions about the group's collective ability to formulate unified foreign policy positions. Harsh V. Pant, an analyst at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, observed that the ongoing hostilities in the Gulf region have emerged as a central fault line for the gathering, noting that what was celebrated as a milestone achievement in expanding the bloc now presents a significant structural challenge to its cohesion.
The presence of President Pezeshkian marks his first official visit to India since assuming the Iranian presidency, as well as the first visit by an Iranian head of state to the country in eight years. His arrival guarantees that the escalating crisis in the Middle East and its broader repercussions will remain at the forefront of the summit's working agenda.
The strain on the group's internal alignment was previously demonstrated earlier this year when BRICS foreign ministers met in New Delhi in May but failed to reach consensus on a joint declaration. Shilan Shah, an economist at Capital Economics, noted that the war involving Iran serves as a severe test for the expanded coalition's ability to maintain solidarity on major international crises.
For the host nation, the summit requires a delicate diplomatic balancing act. New Delhi maintains longstanding, constructive ties with Tehran while also preserving strategic relations with Israel and nurturing its multifaceted partnership with the United States. Navigating these overlapping and often contradictory alliances has become a defining feature of India's non-aligned foreign policy strategy.
The regional instability has also carried profound economic and energy implications. India has mitigated energy disruptions linked to the war in Iran by leaning heavily on crude imports from Russia. While Moscow has served as a critical strategic partner and a vital source of discounted fuel during recent energy market shocks, these energy purchases have drawn scrutiny given Russia's ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.
Putin's journey to New Delhi follows a prior bilateral visit to India in December 2025. The Russian leader also held discussions with Prime Minister Modi earlier this month during a regional meeting in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, maintaining regular communication between the two governments.
Simultaneously, India has sought to keep open communication channels with Kyiv. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar traveled to the Ukrainian capital earlier this month, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to express gratitude toward New Delhi for its active dedication to resolving the war through diplomatic means.
The summit is equally significant for Sino-Indian relations, as Chinese President Xi Jinping makes his first trip to India since 2019. The visit represents the most notable breakthrough in bilateral engagement following a deadly military confrontation along the contested Himalayan frontier six years ago, which had frozen high-level ties.
In recent months, Beijing and New Delhi have taken measured steps toward a diplomatic thaw, resuming commercial flights, easing visa issuance, and re-establishing high-level official dialogues. Nevertheless, considerable friction endures between the two Asian powers, with unresolved boundary disputes, an expanding trade imbalance, and strategic competition continuing to complicate their long-term bilateral relationship.
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