Perspective: India-Russia: Old Friends, New Priorities | 11 September, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday – hours ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi. This is their second meeting in less than two weeks – the two leaders had met earlier in Bishkek on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit on 31st August. They reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to-people domains. They also welcomed Russia’s International Industrial Exhibition, INNOPROM India - held for the first time in India from 9th to 11th September - and underscored its importance in expanding trade and industrial ties. In fact, both leaders visited the exhibition and interacted with the participants. The two leaders also exchanged views on India-Russia engagement in the multilateral sphere, particularly within BRICS under India’s Chairship in 2026. And beyond the bilateral relationship, they shared perspectives on key regional and global issues – including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region, which have implications for maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers. Prime Minister Modi once again reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward in resolving conflicts, and that India remains ready to contribute to peace efforts. And there was also a significant cultural gesture. Prime Minister Modi presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural - the celebrated classical Tamil work attributed to poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar. The Thirukkural, with its 1,330 couplets on virtue, morality, social conduct, governance and love, is regarded as one of the major works of Tamil literature and is known for its universal ethical message. And perhaps that gesture also captures the many dimensions of a relationship that has evolved well beyond its traditional pillars. India and Russia today are looking at strengthening cooperation and exploring newer avenue - from trade and technology to energy, space, industrial partnerships and skill mobility - as both countries navigate a deeply unsettled geopolitical environment. So, what does this latest Modi-Putin meeting tell us about the future trajectory of the India-Russia partnership? Can the two countries build new economic and technological pillars for a relationship that has demonstrated considerable resilience? And as India leads BRICS in 2026, how can this partnership contribute to a larger conversation on the priorities of the Global South? We discuss these aspects in the run up to the 18th BRICS Summit under India’s Chairship in Perspective today - beginning with the India-Russia partnership, its emerging priorities and its place in a rapidly changing global order. Guests: 1- Manju Seth, Former Ambassador 2- Rahul Mishra, Associate Professor, Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, JNU Anchor: Teena Jha Producer: Sagheer Ahmad Guest Coordinator: Deepti Vashisht, Vinod Kumar Singh, Paras Kandpal Watch the other videos on our playlist:    • Perspective   Sansad Television is the Parliamentary channel of India. It was created in 2021 by merging Lok Sabha Television and Rajya Sabha Television. Follow us on: -X: https://x.com/sansad_tv -Insta:   / sansad.tv   -FB:   / sansadtelevision   -WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VanO... -linkedin:  / published   Visit Sansad TV website: https://sansadtv.nic.in/