Overview
- Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Delhi on Friday for a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to attend BRICS Business Forum events before the leaders’ sessions on September 12–13.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping is confirmed to attend and is scheduled to hold a Modi‑Xi bilateral on September 12, giving New Delhi two high‑profile one‑on‑one meetings that could shape regional ties.
- At the BRICS Business Forum Indian ministers urged linked payment systems, wider use of local currencies and adoption of India’s UPI digital payments model to speed cross‑border trade and reduce reliance on the US dollar.
- Delhi has deployed heavy security for the summit, mobilising roughly 15,000 police personnel, about 200 paramilitary companies and extensive CCTV coverage to manage leader movements and protect venues.
- Key disagreements within the expanded BRICS — notably between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia crisis and differences tied to the Ukraine war — remain unresolved and may prevent consensus language in the New Delhi Declaration.