NEW DELHI, 11 September 2026 (Nosheen): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks in New Delhi on Friday, their second meeting in two weeks, with discussions expected to focus on strengthening trade, energy and defence cooperation between the two long-standing partners. The talks are taking place ahead of the annual BRICS summit in the Indian capital, which will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, among other leaders. According to an Indian source, Modi and Putin are expected to discuss cooperation in civil nuclear energy, fertilisers, defence, critical minerals, manufacturing, railways and steel. The two leaders last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31, where Modi called for an end to the war in Ukraine and said India would support every effort aimed at achieving peace. India, along with China, remains one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, helping Moscow maintain revenues despite sweeping Western sanctions imposed following Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in 2022.
New Delhi has defended its continued purchase of Russian energy, saying its large population and growing economy require secure, affordable and reliable energy supplies. India has also maintained that the Ukraine conflict can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than by restricting trade in energy, metals and fertilisers. Russia’s share of India’s crude oil imports reached a record 51 percent in July 2026 as disruptions to Middle Eastern supplies increased Indian refiners’ reliance on Russian crude, although Indian media reported that the share likely declined in August as China increased its purchases of Russian oil. Putin also visited India in December 2025 for the annual India-Russia summit, during which the two countries agreed to further expand their trade and defence relations.