Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to participate in the upcoming Brics summit in India later this year, making it his second visit to the nation within a year. The Kremlin confirmed this news, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that Putin will definitely be part of the summit. New Delhi is gearing up to host the 18th Brics Summit in September 2026 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during India’s presidency of the bloc. This summit will bring together leaders from major emerging economies amidst a period of heightened global uncertainty.
Putin’s most recent visit to India was in December 2025, where he engaged in discussions with the Prime Minister during the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, focusing on bolstering bilateral relations. This visit also commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which was initially established during Putin’s inaugural visit to India in 2000.
Brics has significantly expanded to include 11 major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. The group serves as a strategic platform for collaborating on global political and economic matters, such as governance reforms, energy security, and development priorities.
Originally established as Bric in 2006 after a meeting of foreign ministers at the United Nations General Assembly, the group held its first summit in Yekaterinburg in 2009. It transitioned to Brics with the addition of South Africa in 2010. Over the years, the bloc has continued to grow, welcoming new members since 2024 and establishing partnerships with countries like Belarus, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Since assuming the chairmanship in January 2026, India is steering the summit with the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability,” with a particular emphasis on the Global South. Key priorities include advocating for global governance reforms, enhancing economic resilience and local currency trade, expanding digital public infrastructure, bolstering health security, intensifying counter-terrorism collaboration, advancing climate finance and energy transition, and fostering stronger people-to-people connections among Brics nations.