Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the first day of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12, marking Xi’s first visit to India in nearly seven years, media reports said on Thursday.
The two leaders had met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek in August, but did not hold a bilateral meeting.
Modi and Xi had met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin last August. Before that, the two leaders met in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, shortly after India and China reached an understanding to resolve the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
While the border situation has improved since then, businesses in both countries continue to face hurdles, including regulatory restrictions on investments, visa delays and curbs on the movement of industrial equipment. These challenges highlight the gap between the recent diplomatic thaw and the pace of improvement in economic ties.
Analysts said any dramatic breakthrough in India-China relations is unlikely in the near term, given the persistent “trust deficit” between the two countries.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has been decked up with posters and illuminated installations as India prepares to host the BRICS Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam on September 12–13.
The grouping, which comprises 11 full member states along with an expanding group of partner countries, has emerged as an influential bloc in global economic and diplomatic affairs.
Besides Xi, Modi is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders had previously met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek on August 31.
