Three Russian transport aircraft landed at Noida International Airport on Thursday morning, signalling the arrival of delegations ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.

The aircraft were spotted touching down as preparations intensify for the high-profile gathering scheduled in New Delhi over the weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive in India to attend the summit and hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting is likely to take place on Friday, 11 September, ahead of the multilateral sessions.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the schedule during a virtual briefing from Moscow, emphasising that bilateral issues would be addressed first, with trade and economic cooperation forming a wide scope of discussion.

Peskov described the visit as an opportunity for both nations to deepen their bilateral relations. He highlighted the close personal rapport between Modi and Putin, noting that their pragmatic and sincere relationship allows them to discuss sensitive matters openly and constructively. He added that such engagement opens new horizons for cooperation across multiple sectors.

The Kremlin spokesperson expressed confidence in India’s ability to successfully host the summit. He reiterated Russia’s commitment to strengthening BRICS cooperation across three main pillars: policy and security, economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian contexts. He also supported the idea of inviting new countries to participate in different formats within BRICS, signalling Moscow’s backing for expansion of the grouping.

India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12–13 September under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The summit is expected to deliberate on trade, finance, energy, technology, healthcare, agriculture, climate action and other pressing global issues.

India’s chairship has outlined priorities of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, with practical cooperation anticipated in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, green finance, energy transition, Start-Ups and support for micro, small and medium enterprises.

The arrival of Russian aircraft at Noida International Airport marks the beginning of high-level engagements that will culminate in the Modi-Putin bilateral meeting and the broader BRICS deliberations.

The developments underscore the importance of India-Russia ties within the framework of BRICS and highlight the strategic weight of the summit for global political and economic governance.

ANI