The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Delhi on September 11, on the eve of the 18th BRICS Summit, was significant as an important step towards the forthcoming 24th India-Russia Annual Summit.
The two leaders reviewed political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to-people cooperation, while discussing the conflicts in the Middle East and the Black Sea and their implications for maritime trade and Indian seafarers. The economic dimension is becoming increasingly important. The challenge is not simply to increase trade volumes but to diversify and balance the relationship through greater Indian exports, investment, industrial cooperation and technology partnerships, thereby strengthening its resilience to geopolitical disruptions. Putin’s intervention at the BRICS Business Forum added a wider geopolitical-economic dimension to the bilateral discussions. These remarks reflected Moscow’s broader argument that unilateral economic restrictions are reshaping international trade and investment. At the same time, Putin presented BRICS as an avenue for practical economic cooperation. He also referred to opportunities in tourism, industry and trade, as well as cooperation in personnel training, applied research, smart technologies and unmanned transport. For India, this emphasis on connectivity and maritime security has particular relevance. Disruptions in the Black Sea and the Middle East have demonstrated the vulnerability of global shipping, energy supplies and supply chains. The official Indian readout noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin discussed the impact of these conflicts on maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers. The bilateral meeting also needs to be viewed against India’s broader BRICS agenda. At the BRICS Business Forum, PM Modi emphasised resilient supply chains, secure sea lanes, technological cooperation, innovation and stronger economic partnerships. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar similarly stressed transparent and open trade and investment practices, predictable business environments and stronger economic cooperation amid global uncertainty.
Coming less than two weeks after their meeting in Bishkek on August 31 on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, the Delhi engagement demonstrated the intensity of India-Russia consultations amid considerable geopolitical uncertainty. India and Russia have set a target of raising bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.
He referred to Russia facing more than 30,000 sanctions, and criticised what he described as attempts to destroy pipelines, obstruct international transport corridors, seize maritime vessels and impose “illegal restrictions”, including threats of secondary sanctions against countries unwilling to follow the interests of other powers. He said Russia was prepared to work with partners on global energy and food security and reliable logistics routes, specifically mentioning the Arctic Transport Corridor and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). PM Modi reiterated that “dialogue and diplomacy” were the way forward in resolving conflicts and that India was ready to assist in peace efforts. This followed his message to Putin in Bishkek to move from “endless war” towards an “end of war”.
Significantly, Ukraine and the Black Sea are not mentioned by name in the Delhi Declaration, although the document addresses international conflicts more broadly and calls for dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful resolution. This distinction is important. India continues to address the Ukraine conflict directly with Russia while simultaneously using BRICS to advance broader principles of multilateralism, development and inclusive global governance.
