BRICS Summit 2026 Live Updates: Modi, Xi seek to address concerns, prevent differences becoming disputes

Leaders of the BRICS member countries have begun arriving at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi for the inaugural session of the BRICS Summit.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut questioned the prospects of improving India-China relations after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in Delhi for the BRICS Summit today. Raut said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should ask Xi why Chinese forces entered Ladakh and Galwan and demand their withdrawal, saying that the territory belongs to India. He also questioned what had been achieved through repeated talks between the two countries over the past two years. Raut said he saw Pezeshkian arrive in Delhi like a lion. “Iran showed its strength, spirit and self-respect against Israel and the United States. I consider the Iranian President a lion. The rest are all businessmen. China is a businessman, and America is also a businessman,” Raut said in a press conference in Mumbai.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in New Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 5.45 pm today on the sidelines of the BRICS.

Traffic movement on several key roads in Delhi will be regulated from 9.30 am to 9.30 pm on Saturday as the city hosts the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit. Restrictions and diversions will be in place around Bharat Mandapam and Pragati Maidan, as well as on major routes including Ring Road, Mathura Road, Tilak Marg, Bhairon Marg, Sardar Patel Marg and NH-48. Delhi Police has advised commuters to plan their journeys in advance and use the Metro where possible. Emergency and essential-service vehicles will be allowed priority passage, while motorists have been asked to follow diversion routes and directions from traffic personnel.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are among those expected to attend, along with outreach invitees. Putin arrived in India on Friday for a three-day visit and will attend the summit before holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Xi Jinping's visit is also expected as it will be his first trip to India in 7 years. Modi and Xi are likely to discuss the progress in easing tensions along the Line of Actual Control, as well as trade and economic ties. Modi is also expected to hold separate bilateral meetings with other visiting leaders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing for New Delhi today to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit is Xi’s first trip to India in nearly 7 years and comes amid efforts by the two countries to stabilise ties following the 2020 eastern Ladakh border standoff. China said the two leaders will focus on strengthening communication, expanding cooperation and managing differences.

As it presides over the BRICS summit in Delhi Saturday, India’s challenge is two-fold: to convey the forum’s shared objective of democratizing the international system and to dispel the widespread impression that it seeks to overthrow the US-led order.

The forum’s champions and detractors alike view it through an anti-Western lens. Its supporters celebrate BRICS as a vehicle for resisting Western dominance; its critics warn that it is becoming a counter-bloc led by China and Russia. Both readings are simplistic. The BRICS members differ over whether their national aim is accommodation with the West, autonomy from it, parity within it, or direct confrontation.

Within BRICS, India and Brazil share a strong instinct against turning the grouping into an anti-West alliance. India and Brazil do not want to undermine an international system in which they seek a larger role, more trade, access to technology and investment, and greater diplomatic standing. Read Here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi exuded confidence that the upcoming BRICS Summit will see positive and meaningful discussions on a range of issues, with participating countries sharing a commitment to global welfare.

PM in his X post wrote, "Over the next few days, leaders from around the world will gather for the BRICS Summit. I am fully confident that there will be positive and meaningful discussions on various issues with a shared wish for global welfare."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the summit in New Delhi. Modi will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at 3.30 pm on Friday, followed by a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at 6.15 pm. On Saturday, Modi is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 5.45 pm.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum, BRICS Business Council Chair and UPL Chairman Jai Shroff said the grouping’s biggest opportunity lies in connecting the diverse capabilities of its member countries. "It is a privilege to have the business and government leaders from across the BRICS with us today. India's BRICS Chairmanship under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been built around four priorities: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. These are important priorities for the government, but they are equally relevant for business," Shroff said.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Zou Jiayi arrived in India to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit being hosted by New Delhi. He was received at the airport by Union MoS Jayant Singh.