Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Modi’s Russia and China Bilaterals Strengthen BRICS
India hosted a BRICS summit and its leader, Narendra Modi, met the leaders of Russia and China.
These meetings were important because Russia and China are two major BRICS countries.
India and Russia agreed to strengthen their partnership in areas such as energy, defence, technology, and trade.
They want their trade to grow from about $60 billion to $100 billion by 2030.
India and China also agreed to look at their relationship over the long term.
They said disagreements should not turn into bigger disputes.
However, India still has trade problems with both countries and unresolved concerns with China about the border and exports.
The meetings were seen as helpful for BRICS and potentially important for the global economy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held consequential bilateral meetings with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping during India’s BRICS chairship.
India and Russia agreed to deepen cooperation and target $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, up from about $60 billion.
The Russia talks covered energy, infrastructure, technology, defence, culture, fertilisers, and civil nuclear cooperation.
Modi and Xi agreed to take a long-term view of relations and ensure differences do not become disputes, amid an easing of border tensions.
Both India-China and India-Russia ties face trade imbalances, while unresolved border, investment, and export-control issues continue to complicate relations.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- What
- India held bilateral meetings with Russia and China during its BRICS chairship to strengthen relations and address trade and strategic issues.
- When
- During India’s chairship of the BRICS summit; the article does not provide specific dates.
- Where
- At the BRICS summit; the article does not specify the venue.
- Why
- The meetings aimed to improve bilateral cooperation, address trade imbalances and other disputes, and strengthen BRICS amid geopolitical tensions.
- India-Russia trade target
- The two countries aim to raise bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 from about $60 billion.
- Russia cooperation areas
- Energy, infrastructure, technology, defence, culture, fertilisers, and civil nuclear cooperation.
- Potential Russian defence cooperation
- Russian officials indicated possible upgrades to the BrahMos missile system and supply and production of Su-57 aircraft.
- India-China relationship
- The leaders agreed to take a strategic, long-term perspective and prevent differences from becoming disputes.
- India-China trade concern
- India faces a structural trade imbalance because of imports of industrial inputs, machinery, and electric components from China.
- Border issue
- India-China relations have been strained by a border standoff since April 2020, although institutional exchanges have gradually resumed.
- Additional China concerns
- India remains concerned about Chinese export controls on rare earths, magnets, battery-related products, and technology.