A Diary Full of Engagements and the Hard Task of Reconciling Conflicting Stands

Source: Times of India | Original Published At: 2026-09-13 21:24:00 UTC

Key Points

• New Delhi hosted the BRICS summit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held 15 sit-down bilateral meetings and numerous pull-aside meetings over three days.
• India helped secure a joint declaration from the 11-member BRICS grouping despite divergent positions among members on the West Asia conflict.
• Modi’s key bilateral meetings included Presidents Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran.
• The summit’s joint declaration wording reflected India’s preference that BRICS not be framed as a counterweight to the West.
• The participation of major leaders gave the summit global attention, while its conclusion reinforced India’s policy of multi-alignment.
• Prime Minister Modi publicly thanked BRICS leaders for making the Delhi summit productive and outcome-oriented.