Xi, Modi and Putin at BRICS: What it means for a shifting world order

Source: Forbes India | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 15:30:50 UTC

Key Points

• India's BRICS chairship is expected to position New Delhi as a country able to engage China and Russia simultaneously without fully aligning with either.
• The BRICS Summit in New Delhi is portrayed as an opportunity to project unity within the expanded 11-member bloc and to challenge Western efforts to isolate Russia.
• China and Russia have deepened cooperation in energy, trade, technology and defence, with bilateral trade reaching a record $245 billion in 2024.
• Xi's visit to India would be his first since 2019, following a gradual resumption of flights, visas and diplomatic exchanges after the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.
• India's BRICS agenda is reported to include food security, supply-chain resilience and technology cooperation.
• The article notes that unresolved India-China border disputes and the China-Russia partnership could complicate India's long-term strategic autonomy.