Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to hold a bilateral meeting on Friday, September 11, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, with the proposed sale of Russia's Su-57 fighter jets to India expected to be among the key issues on the agenda.
Speaking to reporters during a virtual briefing from Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the meeting has been scheduled and said the two leaders are expected to begin discussions on the bilateral agenda.
The 18th BRICS Summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. India assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2026, taking over the chairmanship for the fourth time.
Su-57 deal, trade likely to figure in talks
Peskov said the potential sale of Russia’s Su-57 fighter aircraft to India is expected to be among the issues discussed during the meeting. Trade and economic cooperation are also likely to feature on the agenda. The Indian government has not yet officially responded to Peskov’s comments.
Peskov also criticised the United States’ proposed plan to impose 100% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian crude oil, calling the move “illegal and unacceptable.”
BRICS Summit in New Delhi
The two-day summit will bring together leaders of BRICS member states, partner countries, invited participants and senior officials at Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan.
The 11-member core group comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a full member of the grouping in 2025.
BRICS also has 10 partner countries: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. These countries hold partner status and are distinct from the grouping’s full members.
Prime Minister Modi will host the summit, while Putin has confirmed his participation. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to attend. If Xi travels to India, it would be his first visit to the country since his informal meeting with Modi in Mamallapuram in 2019.
Other leaders expected at the summit include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also expected to participate.
Modi and Putin most recently met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The meeting was their first face-to-face interaction since the annual India-Russia Summit in New Delhi last December.
During the meeting, Modi stressed the need to move away from prolonged conflict and towards peace, saying that every day spent continuing war pushes humanity backwards, while every step towards peace offers renewed hope.
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