Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks in New Delhi on September 11 on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, with defence, energy, trade and economic cooperation being among the central topics in discussions.
India held the BRICS summit under its chairmanship in 2026 in which emerging economies in the world have been working together as the world faces many problems and crises.
The Modi-Putin meeting was aimed at strengthening the India-Russia strategic partnership.
The Indian government said that the two leaders discussed cooperation in political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to-people sectors.
One of the top economic priorities is to increase bilateral trade between India and Russia to $100 billion by 2030. In terms of trade, we’ve already got some $70 billion of it now and this is a huge step-up in the economic ties.
In fact, the two sides are looking at more industrial cooperation, greater Indian exports to Russia in the future and more market access and balance of trade in general.
Defence cooperation remained very much a part of the discussions. Russia is still India’s biggest defence partner and both countries are actively pursuing opportunities to enhance military technology and equipment cooperation.
Russian proposals for advanced fighter aircraft and improvements to India’s current defence platforms have also been highlighted, sources say.
Energy was another major area of the relationship. India and Russia have a long-standing energy cooperation in oil and civil nuclear cooperation.
There are also possibilities of more cooperation on nuclear energy and stability in energy supplies is important for India's expanding economy.
The two leaders also discussed cooperation in key minerals, fertilisers, railways, manufacturing, infrastructure and technology.
These are more important to India’s efforts to build supply chains and enhance domestic industrial capacity.
The implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030 was also highlighted in this context of the development of bilateral economic relations.
The Ukraine conflict and regional developments were also discussed in the discussions. Modi said India would help to resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy and said India is ready to support peace efforts.
Putin’s visit also has a crucial role for the BRICS. With the grouping now expanding to 11 members, India is seeking more cooperation in trade, investment, energy security, technology and global governance.
The Modi-Putin meeting therefore goes beyond traditional defence relationships.
The focus on trade, energy, industrial cooperation and new technologies indicates that both countries are taking a step towards a bigger economic partnership while maintaining their strategic relationship.
