India is set to host the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expected to participate. Their presence could pave the way for important bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
If Xi Jinping’s visit takes place as planned, it will mark his first visit to India since October 2019, when he attended the second informal summit with PM Modi in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu. India-China relations deteriorated sharply after the 2020 military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh but have gradually improved following high-level diplomatic engagements.
The summit comes shortly after recent meetings between Modi and Xi at the BRICS Summit in Kazan (2024) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, where both leaders discussed efforts to stabilise bilateral ties.
This year’s summit will be held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” However, discussions are expected to be heavily influenced by the ongoing West Asia conflict, particularly differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), both of which joined BRICS in 2024.
According to reports, most BRICS members support maintaining strong language on the Palestine issue and backing a two-state solution, while the UAE has taken a different position. India is expected to play a balancing role in bridging differences among member nations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit is also expected to provide an opportunity to discuss the West Asia situation and strengthen India-Iran relations, which have been affected by US sanctions, including the suspension of India’s imports of Iranian oil and challenges related to the Chabahar Port project.
India has also invited leaders from several non-BRICS countries to attend the summit as special guests. Among them is Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who has been invited in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC.
The summit is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation among emerging economies while addressing geopolitical tensions, global economic challenges, and regional security issues.
