Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a photo with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Brics summit in Delhi, symbolising the leaders' personal rapport. The image, posted on Saturday, showed the three leaders holding hands, underscoring the expanded Brics bloc's growing significance as it enters its third decade. The summit, held at New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, was marked by a consensus statement following intensive negotiations that lasted until early Saturday morning. The theme of the summit, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability', was highlighted by Modi in his social media post.

The summit took place against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, including the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, the West Asia crisis, and the Trump administration’s trade policies. BRICS countries reached a consensus on a joint statement, despite differences over several contentious issues. India played a leading role in bridging competing positions and building consensus among members. The negotiations were particularly complex due to ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions in West Asia, with Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE presenting a diplomatic challenge.

Modi also shared a photo of himself interacting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, with Putin standing beside them. Another image showed Modi walking alongside Putin and smiling. Other leaders attending the summit included Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung. International figures such as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Zou Jiayi were also present.

In his address, Modi urged the Global South to become decision-makers and offered to train policymakers. The summit concluded with the adoption of the Delhi declaration, which included a condemnation of terror and unilateral acts of war. Modi stated that the meeting was productive and positive, with no member expressing disagreement. During bilateral meetings, Modi discussed cooperation with Putin on political, economic, defence, energy, space, and people-to-people domains, including the Middle East war and the Black Sea region conflict. Modi told Putin that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward in resolving such conflicts. His bilateral with Jinping is expected to focus on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), trade, investment, and economic engagement, with the border issue likely to be central to their talks.

The summit marked a significant diplomatic breakthrough, with BRICS countries reaching a consensus despite tensions. However, the evidence does not include any response from critics or organisations that may have been affected by the summit's outcomes. The summit's conclusion leaves some questions unanswered, particularly regarding the long-term implications of the Delhi declaration and the effectiveness of the consensus reached on contentious issues.