- 18 minutes ago
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, bringing together leaders of major emerging economies representing the Global South. The summit marks Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to India in seven years.
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00:01Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shakil, and tonight we bring you a special edition as India prepares
00:07to host the 18th BRICS Summit with the world watching New Delhi, because there is one big development that has
00:15changed the stakes.
00:16Chinese President Xi Jinping is coming to India. It will be Xi Jinping's first visit to India in seven years,
00:23and his first since the Galwan clash plunged India-China ties into their deepest crisis in decades.
00:31And now, after the banhomi, the hugs and the handshakes at the SEO Summit in Bishkek, the spotlight shifts to
00:41New Delhi.
00:42The big question on everyone's mind now is, will we see a Prime Minister Modi, Xi Jinping bilateral on the
00:50sidelines of BRICS?
00:51And if it happens, what can it actually deliver? Because this is not just about optics.
00:57India and China have stepped up diplomatic and military engagement, especially after Prime Minister Modi's visit to Tianjin in September
01:07last year.
01:09National Security Advisor Ajit Dawal, remember, had traveled to China in August for boundary talks.
01:16Two rounds of core commander-level talks in the eastern sector followed this month.
01:21But the big issues remain unresolved, although they had agreed for a seven-point charter.
01:28The border dispute is still on the table. There is military trust deficit, and trade and investment continue to remain
01:36major points of friction.
01:38So as Xi Jinping heads to New Delhi, the real test is not the handshake.
01:43It is what comes after it.
01:46Can Prime Minister Modi and Xi move the needle on the border?
01:52Can they reset the economic relationship?
01:54And can this BRICS meeting mark the beginning of a more stable India-China engagement?
01:59I will be looking at that and lots more over the next one hour.
02:04The future of India-China ties with my colleagues Geeta and Pranay.
02:08But first up, this report.
02:17The elephant and the dragon could be ready to dance again, just days after hugs and handshakes at the SCS
02:23summit in Bishkek.
02:24Chinese President Xi Jinping is coming to India for the 18th BRICS summit on September 12th and 13th, accepting Prime
02:31Minister Narendra Modi's invitation.
02:33And all eyes are on the possibility of a Modi-Xi bilateral meeting on the sidelines.
02:40Xi is returning to India after seven years.
02:43His last visit was for the Mamalapuram informal summit in 2019.
02:47And this will be his first since the Galwan clash put a dent to Delhi-waging ties.
02:54Over the last two years, India and China have slowly tried to put the relationship back on track.
03:00Modi and Xi held their first formal bilateral in nearly five years in Kazan in 2024
03:04and followed it up with a meeting in Tianjin in 2025.
03:09And now, New Delhi is the stage.
03:12So what issues are likely to dominate the agenda?
03:17Peace and stability along the LSE, movement on the boundary question, and further de-escalation and better border management.
03:24India's huge trade deficit with China, Chinese curbs on high-tech exports, investment and market access barriers could all be
03:31in focus.
03:33Visas, people-to-people exchanges, connectivity and direct flights are also areas where the two countries have been trying to
03:39rebuild ties.
03:40And with both leaders meeting at BRICS, cooperation and global trade and the grouping itself could also be a part
03:46of the conversation.
03:47But the timing of Xi's visit is equally significant.
03:51National Security Advisor Raji Doval traveled to China for talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in August.
03:56The focus? Managing differences and taking the boundary dialogue forward.
04:02India and China also held two rounds of core commander-level talks in the eastern sector in the first week
04:07of September.
04:08These were the first core commander-level meetings in the eastern sector, a mechanism that had originally been established in
04:14the western sector after the 2020 Galwan clash.
04:17So dialogue is clearly gathering pace.
04:20But a thought does not mean the sticking points have disappeared.
04:24The biggest remains the outstanding boundary dispute and a military trust deficit.
04:28Then there's China's claim over Arunachal Pradesh and India's concerns over Beijing's deep strategic and military partnership with Pakistan.
04:36Trade between the two countries may be enormous, but so is India's trade deficit, while restrictions around Chinese investment and
04:42technology remain.
04:43There are concerns over China's mega-damp project on the Yarlung Sanquo, which flows into India as the Brahmaputra.
04:50And beyond the Himalayas, India and China continue to compete for strategic influence across the Indo-Pacific.
04:57Seven years later, the elephant and the dragon are sharing the same stage again in India.
05:02The handshake may signal a thaw, but can it deliver a lasting reset?
05:06Bureau Report, India Today.
05:15And news just coming in that Chinese President Xi Jinping will touch down in New Delhi at 12.25pm on
05:23Saturday.
05:24That is day after tomorrow.
05:26That is the inaugural day of the two-day break summit.
05:30The big-ticket Modi-Xi bilateral is expected to take place around 6pm on Saturday.
05:38So, Xi Jinping arriving in New Delhi at 12.25pm, then will be present for the big photo opportunity of
05:47all the leaders, the five country leaders,
05:50that will happen at Bharat Mandapam and also including the 11-member grouping, remember now it has become.
05:57And the bilateral which is expected between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping will be taking place at 6pm.
06:06So, now the picture is getting clearer.
06:10Let me bring in Pranay Upadhyay who joins me live.
06:13We have Geeta Mohan, group editor of India Today.
06:20We have Rohit Sharma as well.
06:23Geeta, I am beginning with you.
06:24So, all eyes will be on this one in particular.
06:28The timing has come in of the bilateral as well, which is around 6pm.
06:35Well, it's a significant one.
06:37I will no longer, Maria, call it a reset because we always say it's a reset when it comes to
06:42a meeting between Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
06:45But let's look at it as a very important and a significant visit by President Xi Jinping in seven years,
06:52one.
06:52And secondly, the fact that the two leaders are willing to meet for any resolution or forward movement on sticklers,
07:00especially that are very, very complicated, particularly to do with border.
07:04You need leadership level intervention.
07:07And that's exactly what we're looking at over here.
07:09Just ahead of this, Maria, we were reporting on how National Security Advisor Doval met with his counterpart, special representative
07:17on the border question.
07:19And they did discuss the issue, the niggling areas between the two countries.
07:24So, there is forward movement is what I'm looking at.
07:52So, Wangi and Ajit Doval prepared the ground there.
07:58And they agreed upon a seven-point charter.
08:01And I'm looking at the seven-point charter, multiple areas of cooperation and, of course, normalization and travels, border meeting
08:10points, military communication, boundary negotiations, all that has been listed here, Pranay.
08:16But 400 members in that delegation, will that be the biggest delegation coming to India among all leaders, among all
08:26heads of state?
08:27In most probability, Maria, I do not have the exact detail of the number of delegations traveling with the respective
08:34leaders and head of states and of governments.
08:36But certainly, when two most populous countries and their leaders meet, when the two big economies would be interacting, and
08:44in fact, after the gap of seven years on Indian soil, then certainly, it calls for this kind of engagement.
08:51Because, you know, India and China are not only two civilizational neighbors, but also represent the two big economies of
08:58the world, two most populous nations on the planet.
09:01And in fact, this requires the kind of reset Geeta was indicating.
09:05It actually requires this kind of effort, this kind of impetus.
09:08But having said that, you know, there are the seven-point charter you mentioned, the length and breadth, the spectrum
09:14of the agenda Geeta mentioned.
09:16But here are some sticking issues as well, because this meeting would be taking place after a gap of seven
09:22years, after Galwan clashes, after China's, you know, role in Operation Sindhu, during Operation Sindhu, helping Pakistan.
09:33You know, these are the issues.
09:34And also, in terms of economic engagement, the growing divide, as far as the trade deficit between India and China,
09:41is also an important issue.
09:42So, India want those issues to be addressed.
09:45And in fact, if you see the entire span of last 12, 13 years, 14 years, rather, you can see
09:53that, you know, India-China relations have seen similar ups and downs, crest and trump,
09:57in terms of border clashes or border confrontations, and then going for some kind of rapprochement, some kind of meetings.
10:05And we have seen, you know, multiple occasions on which Prime Minister Nareen Modi traveling to Wuhan for informal summit,
10:11Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting India for the Mahabalipuram summit.
10:15And still, we have incidents like, we had Doklam, we had Galwan incident, earlier we had Debsang, you know, various
10:23occasions.
10:23So, this relationship has been accident-prone.
10:27Now, the forward-looking movement or the effort would be to insulate it, to find some kind of insurance, some
10:33kind of leadership direction, to safeguard this relation.
10:36And, you know, recently, with, you know, purging of some of the senior military leaders, in fact, those who were
10:42responsible during the Galwan clashes from the Central Military Commission of China,
10:47clearly gives some kind of indications, perhaps, I think, President Xi wanted to give before his India visit.
10:53Yes, and before I go back to Geeta, a word from Rohit Rohit, and Washington is watching.
11:00How closely?
11:03Well, I spoke to somebody in the administration, and they had a very good, very interesting assessment.
11:08They said, yes, it's BRICS, but what about the cement?
11:11Who's bringing the cement?
11:12And I think that's the larger context here.
11:16I think they want to be able to say, look, we obviously are watching what's going on.
11:20But there is a paradox, right?
11:21I mean, BRICS does sit at this paradox.
11:23Like, at the heart of it, essentially, the larger it grows, it becomes very difficult to define what it actually
11:29is.
11:30And I think they obviously believe that, yes, this is a nice grouping.
11:33President Trump has had very strong views about what BRICS is.
11:36So he definitely will be keeping an eye on it.
11:38He's in Dallas right now.
11:40But again, you know, I think for everybody to be able to take a look at BRICS, they have to
11:45define what it is.
11:46At the end of the day, and again, we don't have to go to, you know, 10 years ago, 15
11:51years ago, as, I mean, last year, you know, when we had the Pahalgam attack, BRICS could not even name
11:57Pakistan as a terrorist state.
11:58They did condemn the attack.
11:59So you've got to be able to understand, you know, how these countries are grouped together in this interesting arrangement.
12:06They call themselves BRICS.
12:07But as I was saying, you know, initially, you know, we've got to find out by the end of the
12:12summit in New Delhi, how can all these BRICS be put together with cement to make something formidable?
12:17You know, I'm sure you'll not tell me who said, who is bringing the cement, but when India managed the
12:26New Delhi declaration with multiple rounds of negotiations at that point as well, it was seen that New Delhi G20
12:38declaration will not come through and India managed it.
12:41Consensus at that time also was something that was seen as a huge task, Gita, and India managed that.
12:49So do you get the sense, Gita, that with this 400 member delegation with which Xi is coming to India,
12:56Xi Jinping is coming to India, this is a message that let's look at points of convergences.
13:03Let's look at trade and other areas, newer frontiers perhaps, rather than looking at points of divergences or, you know,
13:13multiple clashes that has happened between India and China, Doklam, Galwan and others.
13:21A very interesting point, Maria.
13:24The fact that when G20 was happening and they wanted consensus, it was not as complicated as BRICS because the
13:31U.S.-Iran conflict had not begun, one.
13:34Secondly, there was a lot of concession that many countries gave in the paragraph itself on the Russia-Ukraine war,
13:40whether it is Russia or, for that matter, the West.
13:45They all looked at the issue and the point and the emphasis made by New Delhi that there needs to
13:53be a consensus of a Delhi declaration.
13:55Otherwise, this is an absolute failure.
13:58And so they both, all of them negotiated.
14:02And like you said, and you spoke with Amitabh Kans today, so many hours, not on the entire declaration, but
14:09just on one paragraph.
14:10Yes.
14:11That's all.
14:12And that was Russia-Ukraine.
14:14This time around, we have Russia-Ukraine conflict where there's more consensus amongst BRICS nations, but there isn't any when
14:22it comes to two countries within the BRICS on the Iran conflict, and that's the UAE and Iran.
14:28And it doesn't seem like they are budging much when it comes to their position and stance.
14:33And that certainly has become a real problem for consensus building.
14:37We saw that during the foreign minister's meeting, but the similar situation had occurred during G20.
14:41So let's keep our fingers crossed.
14:43I suppose there will be a way out where there will be a Delhi declaration and maybe a chair summary
14:49for one paragraph that has to do with Iran and the UAE.
14:52That could be a workaround.
14:54But again, we'll have to wait and see how that really works out for now.
14:58It does seem like all the countries are working and negotiations are underway.
15:03Sherpas have been meeting and discussing and negotiating to ensure that there is a joint communique for the BRICS 2026
15:13as well.
15:14Yes, and before this summit, there was almost like a clear statement that came in from External Affairs Minister Dr.
15:21S. Jai Shankar Pranay, who said that...
15:24And he voiced something which is shared by most of the countries, barring Russia and China.
15:32His words were that BRICS, the way India envisages is, is non-Western but not anti-West.
15:40So I think that summed it up quite well, something that UAE wishes to say, something that South Africa would
15:47want to say and other countries.
15:49You're absolutely right, Maria.
15:51And in fact, if you see within the BRICS as well, you know, isn't China engaging with the United States?
15:56Isn't Russia engaging with the United States?
15:59In fact, most of the countries are interacting.
16:01And if the BRICS, you know, talks about the multipolarity of the world, then every country is hedging its own
16:08interests.
16:09So, you know, BRICS as a grouping is not considered as a non, you know, anti-US bloc.
16:15It could be like, you know, a grouping asking for the reforms in international institutions of governance, be it the
16:21United Nations, be it World Bank, IMF, Britain with institutions.
16:25So certainly, this grouping has some common ground in terms of the reform, in terms of, you know, representation, reflection
16:33to the present scene of the global reality.
16:36But not exactly, you know, calling or making some kind of a front.
16:40And if you see India's interest here, India is also founding member of, India is a founding member of BRICS,
16:46but India is also founding member of Quad.
16:49India, at the time, hosting BRICS leaders, but also engaging with United States.
16:54In fact, the biggest India-US military exercise has just kicked off Yudha Bhyas.
16:59And in fact, Japanese fighter jets are in India for an air exercise.
17:03So clearly, India is also, you know, putting its interest in diverse baskets.
17:08And when India says, or India calls for multipolarity of the world, it is about the shared interest.
17:14And every country, you know, talks about its own interests.
17:17But certainly, BRICS has a promise to deliver.
17:20BRICS has, you know, a future in terms of commonality of those objectives.
17:25And I think, as Gita also mentioned, that, you know, that commonality of that interest, finding some middle ground, finding
17:31some solution, and commitment to find some kind of solution, probably could be the cement which, you know, Rohit was,
17:38you know, referring to.
17:40Yes, so that cement that Rohit is talking about, isn't India that cement?
17:45A country which is at the global high table and part of multiple groupings, G20, Quad, SCO, BRICS.
17:53So India is the cement.
17:55Quite possibly, yes.
17:57India could be that cement because India, if you see on global platform, on global stage, India has managed, you
18:05know, keeping together the diverse interests.
18:07Russia, Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, UAE, Iran.
18:12And in fact, on India's invitation, both United Arab Emirates and Iranian leadership has come.
18:17Yes, that's right.
18:18So, Rohit, how is India being watched besides Xi Jinping and New Delhi?
18:24Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role.
18:27You interviewed Sergio Gord and he lauded Prime Minister Modi's efforts overall.
18:35Well, again, you know, just to go back to what Pranay was saying, right, maybe India is the common ground,
18:40maybe India is the common denominator.
18:42And look, we've had the previous administration, when they were asked about it, they said it's nice to have India
18:47in these groupings and India in these multilateral arrangements because they believe that there could be certain things that India
18:53could say or do or probably, you know, again, propagate some of the ideas that the West talks about in
18:59these groupings.
18:59So, yes, India obviously would be seen, you know, or was seen at least in the previous administration as a
19:04nation that could also help navigate certain challenges.
19:08So if you were somebody, you know, who's looking at this, you could also very well argue, look, you know,
19:12we have India out there.
19:14Maybe India can talk about this is not the era of war.
19:16There are at least two wars.
19:18I mean, we also know the Iranian president is going to be there.
19:20So maybe they can, you know, talk about those things as well.
19:22But on a broader level, I think that's the bigger question.
19:25You know, I mean, you've got China and Russia who actually are, you know, anti-West.
19:30And then you've got other countries, you know, that are not so much.
19:34So it is a peculiar situation and India finds itself in.
19:37And maybe India could be that cement or glue, whichever, however you want to say, that can glue all of
19:42this together.
19:42But that will be that remains to be seen, Maria.
19:45Again, I keep saying that because at the end of the day, we still have to understand what is, what
19:51are the tangible outcomes that could come out of this big BRICS summit, which we've all been talking all day
19:56today.
19:57Okay.
19:58Geeta, before I let you go, a word on what will you be watching out for over the next three
20:04days?
20:05Well, a few very important things, apart from the fact that BRICS and their partner member, partner countries and organizations
20:13have been invited, what the outcome could look like.
20:16Apart from that, it's the bilaterals that are going to be very interesting.
20:20Bilaterals, not just between India and the other countries, but between other countries as well.
20:24There is a potent possession here on bilateral in all probability.
20:28We will be expecting the leaders of China and Russia also to meet.
20:32There are going to be meetings with various other partner nations and China, for sure.
20:38So those are meetings that one has to really look at very, very closely.
20:43These are not countries that meet the Chinese and the Russian leadership at other multilaterals or have not met in
20:51the recent past.
20:52So a South Africa meeting is going to be important.
20:56A meeting between Egypt, Iran, Egypt, China, Egypt, Russia is going to be very, very important given the conflict and
21:04given the situation between Israel and Palestine.
21:08So there are layers of bilaterals, Mara, that we'd be, Pranay, I and the India-to-day global team, we're
21:16all going to focus on and be reporting on.
21:19Okay, Gita, thank you so much for joining us.
21:21I would request Pranay and Rohit to continue to be with us because we have Ainar Tanjun, Senior Fellow, Center
21:28for International Governance, Innovation and Chairman of Asia Narratives, 15th FYI Initiative, is joining us.
21:34Ainar, what is it that Beijing is expecting from this summit?
21:47Ainar, if you heard me.
21:50I'm sorry, I can't hear you.
21:53Okay, I'll try and fix that audio with Ainar Tanjun.
21:56Can you hear me now?
22:01Okay, we'll try and fix that line with Ainar Tanjun.
22:04In the meanwhile, let me go back to Pranay and Rohit, who continue to be with us.
22:11Rohit, a word now on the other big arrival in New Delhi, which is happening later tonight, almost in the
22:19wee hours of Friday, of Vladimir Putin.
22:23Another point of concern for United States repeatedly?
22:30Well, I think, you know, if you look at what President Trump has said in the past, you know, he
22:34happens to be great friends with both President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
22:39Also, the fact that, you know, America has been encouraging Russia to end the war.
22:44Again, something I'm pretty sure India would also want or probably would say in the bilateral with President Putin.
22:50So, again, you know, if that image of those three leaders that we're showing on television, Maria, that created a
22:56lot of furor last year.
22:57And I think that's from the SCO meeting of last year, where President Trump was not happy.
23:02And we know for a fact because he went on Truth Social and posted about it.
23:04But I think we've come a long way since then.
23:07You know, he had also called India that economy last year.
23:09And we've come a long way in that.
23:10So I think, you know, he and the U.S. would be looking at this as another opportunity to see
23:15what could be done.
23:16But, again, something, an announcement on the lines of, you know, a BRICS currency.
23:20Now, that would be an absolutely red zone.
23:22I don't think anybody in America would appreciate that.
23:25And those are the things I think Americans will be watching more closely.
23:28Apart from that, it's an annual event.
23:30It happens every year.
23:31Again, as I was saying earlier, you know, we've got to still understand, you know, what holds the entire BRICS
23:36together.
23:37And that hasn't been established up until now.
23:39And it's been happening for so many years.
23:40So we'll have to wait and watch on that.
23:42But as far as him traveling to India, I don't think that would raise too many eyebrows in D.C.
23:47So, Aina Tanjin, if he's through with us now, I will try and go to him in just a bit.
23:53But, Pranay, I'm looking at the scale and diversity of BRICS.
23:59Collectively, these members represent 49.5% of the global population, 40% of the global GDP, and 26%
24:08of the global trade.
24:09Which certainly means it's substantial demographic and economic weight that this grouping has.
24:17So, for all the capitals that are not present in that room, they have reasons to be concerned because India
24:25is the chair here.
24:27And this is the fourth time, correct me, Pranay, that in 18 years, India is going to chair the summit.
24:36Actually, you're absolutely right.
24:38It's been 20 years of BRICS journey.
24:41This 18th summit will also reflect upon what future course BRICS should take.
24:46What are the key deliverables BRICS can come up with and what could be the tangible outcomes?
24:52Because, as you rightly mentioned, the 49% of the global population, which, you know, consists of a large youth
24:59population,
25:00be it the youth of India, be it the young population of Iran, China, and many other countries in this
25:06BRICS zone.
25:07But if you compare BRICS, because often BRICS and G7 are compared, and including many leaders, including Vladimir Putin, have
25:14compared G7 and BRICS.
25:18And, in fact, in India Today's interview, when Gita asked, Gita and Anjana both asked President Putin about, you know,
25:26re-inclusion of Russia into G7,
25:28he said that, you know, now Russia is no more interested.
25:32He's not interested to get to go back to G7 because he has more interesting groupings like BRICS to look
25:37forward, which are more vibrant, more inclusive an organization.
25:41And if you see, G7 was formed in 1975, and there is no further inclusion in the grouping of G7.
25:48Rather, there is a reduction in the membership.
25:51While, you know, 2001, this idea came up, this move to BRICS became BRICS, and 2009 onward, the number of
26:00member countries have gone up to 11.
26:03And, in fact, if you include the dialogue partners, there are almost like 25, 26 countries participating in this entire
26:10BRICS process.
26:11And this BRICS stands for, you know, not exactly the alternative world order, but bridging the disruption in the global
26:19politics right now,
26:20that what can be the alternative mechanism.
26:23And believe me, Maria, that post-COVID-19, post-Russia-Ukraine war, the West Asia conflict,
26:29everyone is anxiously looking at how to hedge interest, how to diversify the supply chains, how to ensure the energy
26:36security, food security.
26:38That's right. That's right.
26:39So, let's shift focus now from Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi's bilateral, which is scheduled now for Saturday at
26:466 p.m.
26:47Xi Jinping arrives in New Delhi roughly around 12.30 p.m. on Saturday.
26:52That is the first day of the summit.
26:55The other big arrival is Vladimir Putin.
26:58Remember, Prime Minister Modi and Vladimir Putin's born homie is back this time on the BRICS stage in Delhi.
27:05Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set for a key bilateral on the sidelines of the
27:11BRICS summit,
27:11with oil, trade, defence and technology expected to dominate the agenda.
27:16The meeting comes just months after Putin's December visit to India,
27:21when the two leaders pushed for a $100 billion trade target by 2030,
27:29and reaffirmed their long-standing strategic partnership.
27:33Now, with BRICS bringing major emerging powers together and the global geopolitical landscape in flux,
27:42New Delhi and Moscow have more than bilateral ties to discuss.
27:46From energy and defence to trade and technology and the future of BRICS,
27:50Prime Minister Modi and Vladimir Putin are once again looking to turn old born homie into new strategic momentum.
27:59Here's a report.
28:11The stage is all set for Modi, Putin, born homie once again.
28:17Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a key bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the
28:25BRICS summit in New Delhi on Friday.
28:28With energy and especially Russian oil expected to be on the agenda.
28:34From Russian oil to defence, trade and technology,
28:38the India-Russia relationship has expanded far beyond its traditional pillars.
28:42And this meeting comes at a crucial juncture, with energy ties expected to be a key focus.
28:50Russian crude has emerged as a major pillar of India-Russia trade since the Ukraine war.
28:56Western sanctions pushed Moscow to offer discounted crude,
29:00and India rapidly increased its purchases,
29:03making Russia one of India's biggest oil suppliers.
29:08The meet comes less than a year after Putin visited India for the annual summit in New Delhi.
29:14During that visit, Putin and Modi set an ambitious target of taking bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.
29:26The Modi-Putin connect goes back years.
29:29From the annual summits to meetings on the sidelines of the SCO and BRICS.
29:34The two leaders have maintained a steady channel of communication.
29:39Putin has also repeatedly praised Modi's leadership and spoken warmly of their personal equation.
29:45In an exclusive interview with India Today,
29:48Putin said India is lucky to have Modi as he lives and breathes for India.
29:56Now we are working with Prime Minister of India,
29:59His Excellency Narendra Modi.
30:01Indeed, we have very trustworthy and friendly relations.
30:05He is a very reliable person.
30:08In that sense, I am speaking very sincerely.
30:12India got lucky.
30:13He lives India.
30:17Two leaders, one time tested partnership,
30:20and a relationship looking beyond oil.
30:23Towards the next chapter.
30:26India and Russia are breaking new ground.
30:29Pure Report, India Today.
30:39From now, President Putin will land in New Delhi.
30:44He is going to land around 1.30 a.m.
30:48So, right in the dead of night.
30:50Prime Minister Modi and Vladimir Putin's bilateral is expected tomorrow.
30:55And this bilateral is scheduled at 3.30 p.m.
30:59So, a packed day.
31:01As President Putin arrives,
31:04roughly around 1.32 a.m.
31:07Pranay,
31:08and then he will be at
31:09India-Russia Business Summit,
31:12which is ongoing.
31:13And then he will be seen at Bharat Mandapam.
31:21Pranay, if you heard me.
31:28All right.
31:29Let me bring in the guests who are joining us now.
31:31We have Aynar Tanjin,
31:33who is back with us now.
31:35Titania is a strategist joining me from Moscow.
31:39I'm going to begin with you.
31:41You know,
31:42the concern certainly is
31:44what is going to be the outcome of these meetings.
31:47These are important meetings which are taking place,
31:50which will begin,
31:52Titania.
31:53So,
31:54how do you see
31:55and how is Moscow viewing BRICS,
31:58which is going to be chaired by India?
32:02Well,
32:03look,
32:04Moscow has always viewed BRICS
32:05as a kind of a guarantee,
32:08a guarantor of the,
32:09you know,
32:10the establishment of multipolarity
32:13on the world arena.
32:15It's a lot,
32:16it has a lot to do with economy
32:18and the economic ties.
32:19So,
32:20of course,
32:21and Moscow has spoken repeatedly
32:24about the,
32:25the importance of furthering economic and trade ties
32:29that,
32:30that,
32:31that kind of in investment platforms,
32:34infrastructure
32:35that has been discussed repeatedly,
32:39which would in a sense be a kind of a reform of the,
32:43you know,
32:45the international financial institutions
32:47that are,
32:50of course,
32:52massively dependent
32:53on the dollar
32:55and on US policy.
32:59Titania,
32:59you've made an important point
33:01that,
33:01you know,
33:01de-dollarization is something
33:03that Russia and China
33:05are pushing for,
33:06but that's really not on the agenda
33:08as far as this BRICS summit is concerned,
33:11because India certainly wants to steer clear
33:13of any such points.
33:15They're looking at points of convergences,
33:17so as India looks at inclusivity,
33:21perhaps more practical
33:23and responsive way
33:24of dealing with
33:28how should BRICS be seeing its own future,
33:31because this is the 18th summit,
33:33and that's where I'll bring in Aynar tangent.
33:36Aynar,
33:39technology, energy,
33:40and financial resilience
33:41is what India
33:43is going to spotlight.
33:46So,
33:47when Xi Jinping travels to India
33:49and the meeting
33:51will be happening
33:52between the two leaders
33:53after a gap of seven years,
33:55the last one was in Mahabalipuram
33:57to now.
33:58Do you think
33:59the meeting
34:01which happened
34:02between Doval and Wangi
34:03has actually prepared the ground
34:05for this crucial meeting
34:07to take place tomorrow?
34:10Obviously,
34:11yes.
34:12I mean,
34:12you're talking about two countries
34:14that are very, very careful.
34:15You have a very able
34:17ambassador here in China,
34:19Vikram,
34:20and they would have put together
34:21a complete agenda.
34:23So,
34:23yes,
34:24they know what they're doing.
34:27And remember,
34:28this is their second meeting
34:29in a couple of weeks,
34:31the sidelines of the SCO.
34:32You know,
34:33what's notable here
34:34is that
34:35you had the G20
34:37finance ministers meeting
34:40going on
34:40at the same time
34:41as the SCO.
34:42It's a big yawn.
34:44They were unable
34:44to produce
34:46any kind of consensus,
34:47whereas at SCO,
34:49they were able to.
34:50And that was quite
34:51a strong statement
34:52in terms of
34:53the sovereignty of Iran.
34:54And it's expected
34:56that that is going
34:57to continue
34:57and that China
34:58and India
35:00as well as
35:01Russia
35:02South Africa,
35:05Brazil,
35:06and the rest
35:06of the members
35:07are all going
35:08to participate.
35:09They all bring
35:10different agendas.
35:11But what's different
35:12about this group
35:12is it's showing
35:14how the Global South
35:15can work together,
35:16that it doesn't have
35:18to be an alignment
35:20of ideology.
35:22It can simply be
35:23what is practical
35:25to do it.
35:26But there's this other
35:26much larger issue
35:28which you've touched upon,
35:30which is
35:30this is a grouping
35:32that Washington
35:33is actually
35:34concerned about.
35:35Donald Trump
35:36is a bully.
35:37We all know that.
35:38Having a bigger bully
35:40is something
35:41that he's concerned of.
35:42I'm sure that
35:43when he was looking
35:44over the pictures
35:45of Xi Jinping
35:47and the Iranian leader
35:50plus Russia
35:51and India
35:52all kind of
35:53sharing some moments
35:55at the SCO
35:56that put the antennas
35:59up at Washington.
36:00They believe
36:01that you divide
36:02the world
36:02and you conquer it.
36:03So this is a very,
36:05very important meeting.
36:06If these countries
36:07cannot hang together,
36:08they will hang separately.
36:10And even as
36:12this meeting
36:13is going to take place,
36:15reports have come in
36:16that resident
36:18Vladimir Putin,
36:19his U.S. counterpart,
36:20Donald Trump,
36:21have discussed
36:21the idea of holding
36:22a trilateral meeting
36:24with Xi Jinping
36:25at an upcoming summit
36:26in November.
36:28That is what
36:29the Kremlin has said.
36:30This is the
36:31Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
36:34which is scheduled
36:34to be held
36:36in Shenzhen
36:38between November
36:4018th and 19th.
36:42And this,
36:43Aynar,
36:44is also coming in the,
36:46you know,
36:47and a few weeks ago
36:48there were,
36:49Beijing had
36:50two important guests
36:51in a matter of
36:52just 24 to 48 hours.
36:54First,
36:55Donald Trump
36:56and then
36:56Vladimir Putin.
37:01Well,
37:01I mean,
37:02this idea
37:03that somehow
37:03it's going to be
37:04reduced to a big three
37:05and that they're going
37:06to divide up the world
37:07is nonsense.
37:09Obviously,
37:10as everyone can see,
37:12the bonhomie
37:12between India
37:14and Russia
37:15is there.
37:16You cannot
37:17start cutting
37:18people out.
37:20Now,
37:20there are definitely
37:22issues.
37:23The United States
37:24believes that
37:25somehow China
37:26is responsible
37:27for ending
37:28the war in Ukraine.
37:30That's kind of
37:30nonsensical.
37:31So it's,
37:32for a lot of
37:33what Trump
37:33is doing,
37:34it's for optics,
37:35it's to get
37:37the press
37:37to chase
37:38another white rabbit
37:39or dead cat
37:40that he throws
37:41out there
37:41on a daily basis.
37:43So it's not clear
37:44that there would be
37:45any real agenda
37:46that could be
37:47put together.
37:48I mean,
37:48even when
37:50dealing with
37:51Donald Trump,
37:52the Chinese
37:52have had
37:53tremendous difficulty
37:54kind of narrowing
37:55the focus
37:55and making sure
37:56that the upcoming
37:57meeting does not
37:58turn into a disaster
37:59with him
38:00deciding to
38:01go off script.
38:04That's always
38:05the fear
38:05with Donald Trump
38:06as he often
38:07tends to go
38:08off the script.
38:09So,
38:10Tatiana,
38:10come in now.
38:11You know,
38:12India certainly
38:13aims to reinforce
38:14that BRICS
38:15is a constructive
38:17force
38:18for a more
38:19inclusive
38:20global order.
38:22You know,
38:22the message is
38:23that the whole world
38:24is one family.
38:25Vasudev Kutum
38:25come.
38:26That's the message
38:27that Prime Minister
38:28Modi has been
38:28speaking about
38:29repeatedly.
38:30And then here
38:31are
38:33an optics
38:34of that nature
38:35first when it
38:36happened at
38:37Tianjin
38:37and then,
38:38you know,
38:39just a few days
38:40ago at SCO
38:41summit of the
38:41three leaders
38:42coming together,
38:43Xi Jinping
38:45and President
38:47Putin and
38:47also Prime
38:48Minister Narendra
38:49Modi.
38:49That kind of
38:50messaging,
38:51when it happens,
38:52what do you
38:52think,
38:53how does
38:54Moscow think
38:55Washington sees
38:56it?
38:59The messaging
39:00of three leaders
39:01coming together?
39:02Yes.
39:04Well,
39:05that's,
39:06look,
39:07of course,
39:08and I mean,
39:09it's not just
39:10about Donald
39:10Trump.
39:11I think
39:11every U.S.
39:14in his
39:14respect,
39:15has been
39:15kind of
39:16nervous
39:17on a
39:18different
39:18part of
39:19the scale
39:19of nervousness
39:20about this
39:21kind of,
39:22you know,
39:22about Bricks
39:23in general.
39:24And you
39:24can see
39:25that by
39:25just looking
39:26at the
39:26narrative,
39:27you know,
39:28how they
39:29start
39:29demonizing
39:30one part
39:31or the
39:31other,
39:32or just
39:32outright
39:33saying that
39:33this is,
39:34you know,
39:34something that
39:35is not
39:35kind of,
39:37you know,
39:38is not
39:38producing
39:39anything.
39:39All of
39:40these messages
39:41are just
39:42proof of
39:43the fact
39:43that it
39:44is making
39:45the U.S.
39:45nervous.
39:46And it's
39:47a very
39:48kind of
39:48simple
39:48situation.
39:50You know,
39:50the U.S.
39:51has been
39:51very used
39:52to this
39:53unipolar world
39:54order where
39:55it is about
39:56the U.S.
39:57interest and
39:58it is about
39:58the U.S.
39:59agenda,
40:00about the
40:00U.S.
40:00economic
40:01agenda,
40:02which in
40:02turn,
40:03you know,
40:04kind of forces
40:05the political,
40:05the geopolitical
40:06agenda.
40:06And yes,
40:09these three
40:09countries,
40:10these three
40:10powers coming
40:11together and
40:12speaking,
40:13especially when
40:14it comes to
40:15the, you
40:15know,
40:15this tentative
40:17yet very
40:18kind of
40:19conscious
40:20rapprochement
40:21of India
40:22and China,
40:23something that,
40:24you know,
40:24if you look
40:25at the U.S.
40:25media,
40:26they love
40:27to stick,
40:28you know,
40:28to pour
40:29gasoline
40:29on any
40:31sort of
40:31spark between
40:32the two
40:32because the
40:33rapproachment
40:34of such
40:35powers
40:36does pose
40:37a very
40:37significant
40:38threat,
40:39if not
40:40economically,
40:40you know,
40:41alone,
40:42but also,
40:42you know,
40:43in terms
40:43of the
40:45U.S.
40:47influence
40:48in the
40:48region.
40:50Okay.
40:51Okay.
40:51So,
40:52Ainar,
40:52let me give
40:52you the
40:54last thought
40:54on the show
40:55tonight.
40:56Of course,
40:56over the
40:56next three
40:58to four
40:58days,
40:58you'll be
40:59joining us
41:00more often.
41:01We certainly
41:02hope that.
41:03So,
41:03Ainar,
41:03how is
41:04the press
41:04in Beijing
41:05looking at
41:07the summit?
41:10Well,
41:10Perul,
41:11I mean,
41:11they look
41:12at it
41:12from the
41:13official
41:14angle.
41:14I mean,
41:15you have
41:15the Ministry
41:17of Foreign
41:17Affairs
41:18that is
41:18putting out
41:19these,
41:19you know,
41:20these talk
41:21points,
41:22what they
41:23expect to
41:23achieve.
41:24They've
41:24talked to
41:25exactly the
41:26same things
41:26that you've
41:27talked about,
41:27defense,
41:28trade,
41:28etc.
41:29So,
41:30those will
41:30be the
41:30main focal
41:31points.
41:32There will,
41:33of course,
41:33be a lot
41:34of coverage
41:35of Xi
41:35Jinping
41:36being in
41:38India,
41:39every,
41:40you know,
41:40the same
41:40thing I
41:41expect from
41:42RT and
41:43in terms
41:44of Putin.
41:46These are
41:47very important
41:49in terms of
41:49optics when
41:50you start to
41:51see powerful
41:52leaders outside
41:53the United
41:53States who
41:54are garnering
41:56world attention.
41:57Now,
41:57it's not as
41:58great in
41:59Europe and
42:00in America,
42:01but throughout
42:01the rest of
42:02the world,
42:03and we're
42:03really talking
42:04about 85 to
42:0590 percent
42:05of the rest
42:06of the world,
42:07they are
42:08paying attention.
42:09This is the
42:10great hope.
42:11I mean,
42:12there's no one
42:12has any kind
42:14of illusions
42:15that the U.S.
42:17is not a
42:17bully.
42:18The fact that
42:19they've gone
42:19after their
42:20closest,
42:21nearest,
42:21and most
42:21loyal ally,
42:23Canada,
42:23with a full-on
42:25trade war
42:25embargoes,
42:26threatening to
42:28take it over
42:28by force,
42:29make it the
42:3051st state,
42:31as well as
42:32taking over
42:32Greenland and
42:33now Iceland,
42:34apparently.
42:36Mexico was
42:37colored in
42:37under the
42:38U.S.
42:38flag.
42:39These are the
42:40types of things
42:40that make
42:41all countries
42:42nervous.
42:43So they're
42:43banding together,
42:44and that's
42:45really what
42:46BRICS represents.
42:47The fact that
42:48they are able
42:49to get agendas
42:50through and reach
42:51consensus,
42:52this is really
42:53what is bothering
42:54Washington.
42:54It's about
42:55consensus,
42:56and if India
42:57indeed manages
42:58consensus the
42:59way New Delhi
43:00did in G20,
43:02that certainly
43:03will be a
43:03huge achievement.
43:05Aynar Tanjun
43:05and Tatiana,
43:07really appreciate
43:07your time.
43:08Thank you for
43:08joining us and
43:09sharing your
43:10views.
43:11And earlier at
43:12the Inder Today
43:13BRICS roundtable,
43:14a host of
43:15guests spoke
43:16about the
43:17much-awaited
43:18Prime Minister
43:18Modi Xi Jinping
43:19meeting and the
43:20Prime Minister's
43:21meeting with
43:22Russian President
43:23Vladimir Putin.
43:24So what can
43:25we expect from
43:26these crucial
43:26meetings and
43:27what could
43:28they mean for
43:29India and its
43:30relations with
43:31both China and
43:31Russia, particularly
43:33amidst ongoing
43:34border tensions?
43:35I'm leaving you
43:36with these
43:36conversations,
43:37which I had
43:38listening to
43:39what former
43:40G20 Sherpa
43:42Amitabh Khan,
43:43Congress leader
43:44Salman Kusheed,
43:45and BJP Vice
43:46President Ramadav
43:47have to say.
43:54A consensus
43:55on AI,
43:56because artificial
43:57intelligence certainly
43:58is the buzzword
44:00everywhere now.
44:02Given how the
44:03dynamics are playing
44:04out between
44:05various big tech
44:06companies,
44:07can big nations
44:09also give
44:10directions?
44:11Well, you need a
44:12multilateral body,
44:13much like you have
44:14in the case of
44:15nuclear armaments
44:16and a global
44:18body.
44:19Innovation will
44:20always be ahead
44:21of regulations,
44:22but you need
44:23responsible AI,
44:25and that, to my
44:25mind, will be
44:26critical.
44:27So, both in
44:28BRICS, it needs
44:29a discussion,
44:30and later in
44:31G20 and the
44:32United Nations,
44:33you need the
44:33formation of the
44:34body.
44:34But beyond
44:36this, in its
44:38own bilateral
44:39meeting with
44:40Xi Jinping, it's
44:41very important
44:42for India,
44:43because India
44:44needs to grow
44:45its trade.
44:46It's a one-way
44:47trade.
44:47There's very
44:48little exports
44:48we do.
44:49We do a very
44:50substantial amount
44:51of imports from
44:51China.
44:52It's very important
44:53to understand that
44:55China is weaponizing
44:56all its clean
44:57technologies.
44:58It's impossible
44:59to, you know,
45:00they increase the
45:01price of cell
45:03battery, the cell
45:04technology, they
45:05decrease the price
45:06of the end
45:07batteries.
45:07It's impossible to
45:08manufacture in any
45:09other country.
45:10The monopolization
45:11is to such a high
45:12extent.
45:13They've created a
45:13virtual oligopoly
45:14in this sector.
45:15So, it's very
45:16important to tell
45:17the Chinese to
45:18open up in some
45:19of these areas
45:20so that you are
45:22able to ensure
45:24that the technology
45:25flows, that you
45:27are able to ensure
45:28that clean technology
45:29develops in other
45:30parts of the world,
45:31and that critical
45:32mineral processing
45:33is not monopolized
45:35by one country
45:35of the world.
45:36You say that the
45:37world is looking
45:38towards New Delhi
45:40and all the
45:41bilaterals will be
45:42watched.
45:43The meetings in
45:45particular between
45:45Xi Jinping, Prime
45:47Minister Modi, and
45:48Vladimir Putin will be
45:49watched.
45:50Dr. S.
45:51Jai Shankar, who is
45:54the present
45:55external affairs
45:55minister, has said
45:56that the idea of
45:58BRICS is that it
45:59is non-Western
46:02without being
46:03anti-West, it
46:05is not really
46:06anti-West, something
46:08that most of the
46:09member countries
46:10actually share, that
46:12is the view.
46:13Do you think the
46:15shades of BRICS has
46:17changed from the
46:19way it was envisaged
46:20to now, 18 years
46:21journey, of which
46:23several years you
46:24were the external
46:25affairs minister of
46:26India?
46:26certainly, I think
46:29we all agree, we
46:31all agree that the
46:32world is, should not
46:37be pushed towards a
46:39greater divide between
46:41the global north and
46:43the global south.
46:44But not at the cost
46:46of global south, the
46:47global south must have
46:48a voice, the global
46:49south must have greater
46:51participation in world
46:54governance in institutions
46:57of the globe, etc.
47:00But obviously there is
47:01a clear divide between
47:02becoming anti-something
47:05and being persuasive to
47:08hope that there will be
47:10change with something
47:11that you are not
47:12entirely satisfied with.
47:13And that's why I say
47:14the onus on India is a
47:16very heavy onus.
47:17It's very easy to be
47:18anti-something and take
47:20an applause, take a bow
47:21and say, I've done my
47:22job, but to keep people
47:25together and keep your
47:27eyes open to what is
47:29happening beyond BRICS,
47:30who all are watching and
47:32what they would take away
47:33from how we perform in
47:34the BRICS, puts a heavy
47:37burden on India.
47:38And I do hope, sincerely
47:40hope, for the sake of
47:41our country and the sake
47:42of everything that each
47:45of these institutions
47:46means, I hope that we are
47:48able to perform well.
48:12there will be more
48:13than that.
48:14How is our
48:14relationship?
48:15How is our
48:16BRICS and BRICS?
48:20First of all, BRICS is not
48:21a bilateral forum.
48:23So there is no
48:24bilateral issues in
48:26BRICS.
48:32And we are very clear, both
48:34India and China, we both
48:36countries are very clear
48:37that the issues between us
48:38will purely be dealt with
48:40at the bilateral level.
48:41BRICS is not a bilateral forum.
48:44It is not a bilateral forum.
48:45It is not a bilateral forum.
48:47BRICS talks about the larger
48:49issues of global south.
48:51It is the voice of global south.
48:53It is not a bilateral issue.
48:57BRICS talks about the
48:59border and trade issues.
49:02But at the same time,
49:03we have a strong trade
49:06relationship.
49:07I am sure we all know that
49:09India's trade relationship
49:11with China is 159 billion
49:12dollars.
49:14That is India-China
49:15bilateral trade.
49:16And if you exclude
49:18services sector,
49:20China is the largest trade
49:22partner of India.
49:22That is India.
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