NEW DELHI - Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit New Delhi on September 12 and 13 to attend the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be in India for the meeting. The two visits place India-China and India-Russia relations among the key bilateral engagements surrounding the India-hosted summit.
China confirmed Xi’s visit on September 10, following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trip will be Xi’s first visit to India since October 2019 and his first since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. Putin’s participation had already been confirmed, with the Russian President scheduled to attend the summit on September 12-13.
India is hosting the summit in New Delhi as the 2026 BRICS Chair. The main leaders’ programme will be held at Bharat Mandapam on September 12 and 13. The meeting comes in a year when BRICS marks 20 years since its establishment and operates with an expanded membership of 11 countries.
Xi’s India Visit Comes After Gradual Diplomatic Engagement
Xi’s forthcoming visit follows several high-level contacts between India and China after relations deteriorated following the 2020 border confrontation. Although Xi has not visited India since 2019, he met Prime Minister Modi in person in Kazan in October 2024 and later in Tianjin in August 2025 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
The India-China boundary remains an unresolved issue. The two countries have entered into several agreements since 1993 concerning the maintenance of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control, confidence-building measures and military activities in the border areas. The 2005 Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question provides an established framework for negotiations on the boundary issue.
A significant development came in October 2024, when India and China reached an agreement concerning patrolling arrangements in Depsang and Demchok. The Indian government subsequently stated that disengagement had been achieved at all the friction points that emerged in 2020. The broader boundary question, however, remains subject to negotiations.
The 25th round of India-China Special Representatives’ talks on the boundary question was held in Beijing on August 25, 2026. India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi participated in the discussions. Both sides agreed to continue efforts towards a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable boundary settlement based on the political parameters previously agreed upon.
Putin’s Attendance Adds India-Russia Bilateral Engagement
Russian President Vladimir Putin will also attend the New Delhi summit. Prime Minister Modi had publicly stated after his August 31 meeting with Putin in Bishkek that he looked forward to welcoming the Russian President to India for the 18th BRICS Summit.
Modi and Putin are also scheduled to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit. Russian officials have confirmed that the two leaders will discuss issues of mutual interest. Their discussions come against the backdrop of continued India-Russia cooperation in areas including energy, defence, trade, space and other sectors.
Putin’s visit follows his December 2025 trip to New Delhi for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. The two leaders most recently met in Bishkek on the margins of the 26th SCO Summit on August 31, 2026, where they reviewed bilateral cooperation and discussed developments affecting regional and global affairs.
The presence of both Xi and Putin makes the New Delhi summit particularly significant for India’s bilateral diplomatic calendar, while the BRICS format will keep the discussions within the broader framework of cooperation among member states.
BRICS Agenda Includes Trade, Energy and Global Governance
India’s 2026 BRICS chairship is being conducted under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The summit agenda includes strengthening cooperation among member countries and discussions on global and regional issues.
BRICS currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia joined the grouping in 2025, while Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE became members in 2024. The summit follows more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements organised across India during its 2026 BRICS chairship. The programme has covered political and security cooperation, economic and financial matters, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Economic issues are expected to remain an important part of the discussions. India and China recorded bilateral trade of about $155 billion in 2025, even as investment restrictions, regulatory scrutiny and market-access concerns continue to affect commercial relations. The BRICS summit will therefore provide a platform for India to engage simultaneously with China and Russia at the leaders’ level, while addressing issues concerning trade, investment, energy security, supply chains, multilateral institutions and global governance.
With Xi Jinping confirmed for September 12-13 and Vladimir Putin also scheduled to attend, the 18th BRICS Summit will bring the leaders of China and Russia to New Delhi at a time when India is managing important bilateral negotiations while leading the expanded BRICS grouping.
