Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a photograph on Saturday holding hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit, signalling warm relations among the three leaders.
The photograph showed PM Modi standing between Putin and Xi, with all three leaders smiling.
BRICS Summit 2026 gets underway in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/WN7YWi5bTg
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 12, 2026
This photo is seen as a reflection of dynamism among India, China, and Russia – often referred to as the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral.
A similar photo featuring the three leaders had emerged from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin last year. The photograph was widely carried by media platforms across the world.
The BRICS grouping on Saturday adopted a joint declaration by consensus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the New Delhi declaration at the end of the opening day’s deliberations at the two-day India-hosted summit.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12–13, bringing together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries as well as outreach invitees.
India’s BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting PM Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “Humanity First”.
-PTI inputs
