PM Modi Holds Hands with Putin and Xi Jinping: 7 Unmissable Photos from BRICS Summit 2026

The 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi served as a pivotal venue for international cooperation, characterized Amidst the backdrop of scattered clouds on Saturday, September 12, 2026, the 18th edition of the summit brought together a diverse group of world leaders to addressing the challenges of the current geopolitical landscape. Among the most iconic moments of the opening day was the "Power Frame," a striking display of unity where Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a warm gesture with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In a public show of camaraderie, PM Modi held hands with both leaders, a move widely interpreted as a signal of collaborative intent. This spirit of cooperation extended beyond the core trio, as footage captured the broader collective of delegates walking together through the summit grounds, with PM Modi leading the delegation in an image that quickly permeated international media channels.

Sidelines Plenary Sessions Highstakes Bilateral

On the sidelines of the plenary sessions, high-stakes bilateral discussions shaped the core agenda of the summit. Prime Minister Modi held a critical meeting with President Xi Jinping to conduct a comprehensive review of the full spectrum of India-China relations.

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Beyond addressing bilateral concerns, the Indian leadership utilized the opportunity to foster future institutional continuity, with PM Modi extending India’s official best wishes to China as Beijing prepares to assume the rotating BRICS Presidency in 2027. The summit also served as a stage for "green diplomacy," where PM Modi and his fellow BRICS counterparts-including Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali-engaged in a joint tree-planting ceremony.

Standing together, the leaders planted a banyan tree, an act that Prime Minister Modi noted symbolizes the grouping’s “deep roots, growing strength, and coming together for a shared future.” This initiative underscored a collective commitment to environmental heritage alongside economic and political expansion.

The summit agenda proved equally focused on navigating regional tensions and fostering cultural exchange. President Droupadi Murmu held a high-level meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which she reiterated India's commitment to regional peace and emphasized the necessity of resolving international conflicts exclusively through dialogue and diplomacy.

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In a separate, highly consequential development, President Pezeshkian met with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral relations, which have remained strained since the onset of the West Asia conflict and the subsequent Iranian retaliatory strikes on UAE oil facilities and air bases. Concurrently, the cultural dimension of the summit was highlighted as Union Minister Annapurna Devi hosted Zahra Pezeshkian, daughter of the Iranian President, at the BRICS Bazaar inside the National Crafts Museum.

The visit provided a platform to showcase traditional art, handlooms, and cultural artifacts from across member and partner nations, facilitating a softer, people-to-people diplomatic layer to the gathering. The summit reached its formal conclusion for the first day with the successful adoption of a wide-ranging joint declaration.

Addressing the assembly, PM Modi articulated a definitive vision for the future, declaring that the Global South must evolve into a key "rule-shaper" in world affairs. He noted that the newly adopted declaration reflects a partnership that is now "wider in reach, stronger in purpose, and committed to sustainable development," effectively setting a robust foundation for the expanded BRICS bloc’s role in the global order.