BRICS Summit 2026: Reviewed full range of India-China ties, says PM Modi after bilateral meet with Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi and reviewed the entire range of India-China relations.

"Also conveyed best wishes for China’s BRICS Presidency that commences next year," Modi said in a post on X.

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar did not attend the BRICS gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting heads of state, government and other dignitaries in New Delhi on Saturday.

Shivakumar was among the chief ministers expected to be part of the high-profile dinner, which brought together leaders attending the BRICS Summit, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

With inputs from Vijay Laxmi

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives at Bharat Mandapam for the gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for global leaders and delegates attending the BRICS Summit.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has arrived at the Bharat Mandapam for the gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for global leaders and delegates.

Chief Ministers of various states and Union Ministers will attend the BRICS Gala Dinner at the Bharat Mandapam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping has concluded after 50 minutes.

Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said the leaders reiterated their support for comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, to ensure greater representation for developing countries. They also backed reforms to the international financial architecture to give developing nations and the Global South a stronger voice.

During his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude for China’s support and cooperation during India’s BRICS chairship.

“We now have the opportunity to discuss bilateral cooperation. Once again, a warm welcome to India,” Modi said.

BRICS nations condemned continued violations of the ceasefire and Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling on Israel to honour its commitments to the Lebanese government and withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory.

The bloc also expressed deep concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East and West Asia, urging maximum restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and greater reliance on dialogue and diplomacy to achieve lasting peace and stability.

President Droupadi Murmu met her Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Saturday and reaffirmed India’s commitment to lasting peace in the region. She stressed that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the longstanding ties between India and Iran, including their close cultural bonds and strong people-to-people connections, according to a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BRICS leaders pose for a family photograph during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the New Delhi declaration has been adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit. Congratulating the members, the Prime Minister said it is now the bloc's responsibility to translate these resolutions into tangible results.

"Alongside the diversity of our views, our shared commitment to BRICS cooperation has also clearly emerged. Today’s discussion makes it evident that the changing world cannot be steered by outdated institutions; reforms are essential in representation, responsiveness, and rule-making. We also emphasized that the Global South must have equal participation in the development of future technologies and the rules governing them. The gap between decisions and their outcomes must be bridged through partnership and collective action," he said.

BRICS is set to return to China, with Beijing announced as the host of next year's summit at the ongoing BRICS gathering in New Delhi.

It will not be China's first time hosting the grouping. Over the past two decades, China has hosted three BRICS summits, each marking a significant milestone in the evolution of the bloc.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in New Delhi that China is willing to work with fellow BRICS members to play its due role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region.

He said the war had caused serious losses to people across the region and did not serve the common interests of the international community, Xinhua news agency said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday officially opened the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi, welcoming world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, to India for the two-day gathering.

Addressing the leaders at the opening session, Modi said India’s BRICS chairship had adopted a “people-centric and humanity-first approach”, with resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability as its key priorities.

He said the Global South must move from being a “rule-taker” to a “rule-shaper”, and asserted that India was ready to play a leading role in that transition.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for immediate reform of the UN Security Council, saying the process could no longer be delayed and must be guided by a definite timeframe and clear outcomes.

“I would like to state that reform of the UN Security Council can no longer be postponed. Negotiations on this matter must be linked to a definite timeframe and clear outcomes,” Modi said while addressing the BRICS Summit.

He also called for greater alignment between global economic governance and present-day economic realities, saying voting rights, leadership positions and policy priorities in international financial institutions should reflect the contribution of countries driving global growth.

Suspense mounted on Saturday over whether leaders at the two-day BRICS Summit in New Delhi will agree on a joint declaration, with sharp differences between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia conflict complicating efforts to reach a consensus.

India is seeking to use its BRICS presidency to help shield the Global South from the impact of growing geopolitical tensions, even as intense diplomatic consultations continued over the contentious issues.

Multiple diplomatic sources told PTI that negotiations were underway to bridge differences, but cautioned that talks could go down to the wire as both Iran and the UAE maintained their respective positions.

BRICS operates on the principle of consensus, allowing any member to block the adoption of a final joint declaration.

During the BRICS Summit 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "It gives me immense pleasure to welcome and greet you all to India. India’s BRICS chairmanship is based on a people-centric and humanity-first approach. Resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability have been our priorities. Alongside these priorities, we have placed special emphasis on connecting BRICS cooperation with the common people. With this vision in mind, more than 350 meetings were organised. We had the opportunity to welcome your teams to approximately 30 cities..."

During the BRICS Summit 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "I express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your active contribution and support in making India’s BRICS chairmanship a success. This year’s BRICS summit marks a historic milestone. We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of BRICS. In human life, the age of 20 marks the beginning of a new phase of maturity and responsibility."

In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, BRICS countries have reached consensus on a Joint Statement after intensive negotiations that continued until 4 AM. The negotiations saw differences on several contentious issues. India led sustained consultations to bridge competing positions and build consensus among members. The breakthrough assumes particular significance given that Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are all part of the same forum, despite deep 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 countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE presented a particularly complex diplomatic challenge. India’s diplomatic prowess ensured that these differences did not derail the BRICS process, paving the way for a consensus Joint Statement despite sharply divergent geopolitical positions among member countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Bharat Mandapam - the venue for BRICS Summit 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Bharat Mandapam - the venue for BRICS Summit 2026.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posts, "Warm welcome to President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China on his arrival in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. He was received by MoS @JitinPrasada at the airport. We look forward to constructive discussions as BRICS continues to advance cooperation and contribute to a more balanced, representative and multipolar world."

Foreign Minister of Vietnam, Le Hoai Trung, arrives in Delhi to participate in the BRICS Summit 2026.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in Delhi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Delhi to participate in the BRICS Summit 2026. Union MoS Jitin Prasada received him at the airport. PM Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the Chinese President later today.

Around 5-5.30 PM in the evening the CM's who have been invited for gala dinner that PM will be hosting for BRICs leaders, will assemble at parliament House. They will leave around 6 PM in a bus from parliament House. Only those CM's have been invited where BRICs countries have investments or have prospects for future investment. This has been done to curtail any traffic chaos that could have taken place had all these CMs come with their own cavalcades. Till yesterday around 15-16 CMs confirmed their presence that includes CMs from opposition ruled states as well which includes DK Shivkumar Karnataka CM and Vijay the TN CM.

Report: Vijai Laxmi 

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit, his first India visit in nearly seven years. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid efforts to stabilise India-China ties following the 2020 Eastern Ladakh standoff.

Today’s bilateral meetings of Prime Minister Modi with Ethiopia and Malaysia took India’s relations with them on a new trajectory. Both countries expressed their keenness for stronger defence cooperation with India. Joint personnel training as well as defence procurement from India was discussed. Both countries welcome Indian industry and Investment. Ethiopia especially welcomed Indian mining companies. Semiconductor opportunities were discussed with Malaysia: GoI Sources

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at Hyderabad House on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit 2026.

Vietnam's Prime Minister Le Minh Hung arrives in Delhi to participate in the BRICS Summit 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit 2026.

China's Global Times tweets, "China Southern Airlines announced on Saturday that it will resume regular passenger services on the Guangzhou-New Delhi route starting September 21, marking the relaunch of China Southern's India service after a six-year suspension. Following the restart, the airline will run over 100 weekly flights across its eight round-trip routes in South Asia, the carrier said."

Traffic will be diverted on several routes on September 12 from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm. More than 35 roads around Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan will be affected. The traffic police have set up a total of 22 diversion points. Many major roads will not allow ordinary vehicles.

Major diversions include:

Deen Dayal Upadhyay Chowk: Traffic diverted towards Mathura Road and Tilak Marg.

Ram Charan Agarwal Chowk: Commercial vehicles are not allowed to proceed.

Mir Dard Chowk: Traffic diverted towards Maharaja Ranjit Singh Marg.

Kasturba Gandhi Marg/Outer Circle: Vehicles heading towards C-Hexagon are prohibited.

Janpath-Connaught: Traffic towards C-Hexagon will be diverted.

Patel Chowk: Vehicles diverted towards Windsor Place and RBI.

RML Hospital Roundabout: Prohibition of access towards Mother Teresa Crescent and Talkatora Road.

Vande Mataram Road/Simon Bolivar Road: Simon Bolivar Road will be closed.

Dhaula Kuan Flyover: Diversion on Sardar Patel Marg.

Moti Bagh flyover: Traffic restricted towards Shanti Path.

Brigadier Hoshiar Singh Marg: Traffic heading towards Africa Avenue will be diverted.

Madrassa T-Point: Vehicles heading towards Arbindo Road are prohibited.

Lodhi Road/Amrita Shergill Road: Amrita Shergill Road closed.

Lodhi Road/Max Mueller Road: Max Mueller Road closed.

Lodhi Road/Maharshi Raman Marg: Traffic restrictions on Maharishi Raman Marg.

Lodhi Road/Arch Bishop Macarius Marg: Arch Bishop Macarius Marg closed.

Under Lodhi Flyover: Traffic diverted towards Mathura Road.

Blue Dome: Oberoi Flyover/Dr. Prohibition of traffic towards Zakir Hussain Road.

Under Oberoi Flyover: Traffic diversion on Mathura Road.

U-Turn in front of DPS, Mathura Road: Traffic diverted towards Bharat Mandapam.

Ring Road/Bhairon Road: Traffic diverted towards Bhairon Marg.

Mandi House: Diversion towards Feroze Shah Road, Bhagwan Das Road and Copernicus Marg.

Chinese journalist Ren Yan says, "Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India after 7 long years... China and India are good neighbors and also have great civilizations. I think the BRICS summit has provided a good platform for the leaders of China and India to meet together and discuss many issues. So I think it's a good opportunity for the leaders of the two nations to improve the relationship between our two countries..." He adds, "This year marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of BRICS. Yeah. For the last 20 years, the BRICS has provided a good platform for the Global South countries to cooperate in many areas like trade, technology, and people-to-people exchange... I think BRICS will provide a good platform for the 'Global South' countries to invest more closely in many areas, such as the financial sector."

Security has been tightened across Delhi as the 18th BRICS Summit gets underway in the national capital. Heavy security deployment and heightened vigilance have been witnessed around Bharat Mandapam -- the venue of the summit, with visuals showing increased security presence in the area.

Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov has arrived in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, being hosted by India. His arrival comes as world leaders and senior representatives of BRICS member countries gather in the national capital for the two-day summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says, "There is no such threat, and there has never been. We are not threatening European countries, nor are we going to threaten them. Why would we? No one seems to even consider that we have no grounds for any conflict with Europe. All issues were settled as a result of the Second World War. And what happened later, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, was done with the consent of the Russian Federation as the successor of the Soviet Union. Everything that runs counter to those arrangements runs counter to our interests and does not comply with the fundamental principles of international law and the U.N. Charter."

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi prior to the BRICS Summit. The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for India’s close cooperation with the United Nations. The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister discussed the priorities of India’s presidency of the BRICS, including the need for multilateral institutions that clearly reflect the realities of the world in the 21st century. The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister also had a wide-ranging discussion on the current conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the impact both are having on the global economy, including regarding access to food and fertilizer. The Secretary-General reaffirmed the principle of freedom of navigation. The two leaders also had an exchange of views on the growing danger of lethal autonomous weapons: United Nations

Visuals from outside Bharat Mandapam, where the 18th BRICS Summit is going to take place from today, 12th September. The Summit will bring together leaders of BRICS Member and Partner Countries as well as Outreach Invitees. The theme for this year's Summit is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." India is a founding member of BRICS and has previously held its Chairship three times in 2012, 2016, and 2021.

BRICS Chairship for India comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures. However, this expanded grouping provides a platform for cooperation on development, climate action, technology, energy and financial resilience, while also contributing to discussions on reforms in global institutions. For India, the 2026 Chairship is focused on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, while building consensus among its diverse members and strengthening the effectiveness of existing mechanisms.

BRICS, originally comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa but later expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia joining in 2025. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year. India is a BRICS founding member and has previously held its chairship three times, in 2012, 2016 and 2021.

This time, India assumed its fourth BRICS chairmanship on January 1 this year. The year 2026 also marks a milestone as BRICS completes 20 years since its establishment. After this summit, China will take over the BRICS rotating chair.

As India is gearing up to host the 18th BRICS Summit on Saturday, several heads of state and other leaders have arrived in New Delhi to attend the mega event. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the arrival of Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr., Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and President of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye. 

Over the period of time, BRICS emerged as a crucial platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. The agenda of BRICS covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges. The group right now comprises 11 countries such as Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

China's Global Times tweets, "Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Saturday for the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, according to Xinhua. Xi's entourage includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, Xinhua reported."

As the BRICS Summit 2026 is all set to begin on Saturday, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in India for the Summit, being hosted by New Delhi.