Russia, China, Iran: How PM Modi won the BRICS diplomacy challenge

Source: Moneycontrol | Original Published At: 2026-09-14 08:02:24 UTC

Key Points

• The 18th BRICS Summit was hosted under India's presidency, with PM Modi delivering two summit addresses and holding 15 formal bilateral meetings.
• PM Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin, reviewing cooperation in trade, defence, energy, space and infrastructure, and reaffirming a target of $100 billion in annual India-Russia trade by 2030.
• India and China held a bilateral meeting on the summit sidelines, stressing mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest to manage border differences and sustain the recent thaw.
• PM Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, reiterating India's support for resolving disputes through dialogue and emphasizing freedom of navigation, commerce and seafarer safety.
• During the summit, PM Modi proposed a Seafarers Emergency Support Network for merchant seafarers amid threats linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
• The summit discussions highlighted BRICS economic cooperation and the expanded grouping's role, with India seeking consensus among members with differing geopolitical positions.