New Delhi [India], September 11 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in the national capital on Friday, as the two leaders continued discussions on strengthening India-Iran ties and cooperation in multilateral forums.
This meeting came after both leaders addressed the BRICS Business Forum 2026 alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
PM Modi was seen holding hands and walking with Pezeshkian alongside the other leaders at the forum, underscoring solidarity among leaders of the expanded grouping as they discussed ways to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, innovation and global development.
The bilateral meeting also comes against the backdrop of Pezeshkian's remarks at the Leaders' Session of the BRICS Business Forum, where he called for stronger economic cooperation among BRICS countries and “a transition from potential cooperation to operational one”.
“We believe that the true strength of BRICS is not confined merely to the size of its members' economies; rather, it becomes more apparent when these capacities are transformed into a network of trade, investment and joint financing – a transition from potential cooperation to an operational one,” Pezeshkian said.
He also said that geopolitical uncertainty, disruption in supply chains and the increasing use of economic instruments to exert political pressure have made the economic environment more complex.
"The world today is going through one of its most complex periods. Geopolitical uncertainty, disruption in its supply chains and the increasing use of economic instruments to exert political pressure have made the economic environment in which countries operate more complex. The question is, what is BRICS response to these challenges?” he said.
Pezeshkian arrived in the national capital to attend the BRICS Summit earlier today, with the Ministry of External Affairs highlighting the longstanding civilisational ties between India and Iran and their shared commitment to progress and prosperity as BRICS partners.
In a post on X, the MEA said that Minister of State for the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur received the Iranian President at the airport.
"Pleased to welcome President of Iran, Dr Pezeshkian at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. He was warmly received by MoS Shantanu Thakur at the airport. India and Iran share civilizational ties, marked by robust cultural and people-to-people bonds. As BRICS partners, the two countries are working to contribute to shared progress and prosperity," the MEA said in its post.
Ahead of his departure from Tehran, Pezeshkian had said that the goal of BRICS was to confront unilateralism and expressed hope that the grouping would move closer to that objective.
"The goal of BRICS is to confront unilateralism, and the slogan of the current summit is also within this framework, and we hope to get closer to this goal day by day. Of course, we know that economic issues are complex and we need new approaches to reduce totalitarianism and unilateralism in the world," he said.
Pezeshkian had earlier met Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek.
During that meeting, PM Modi reiterated India's readiness to closely cooperate with Iran in multilateral organisations, including BRICS and SCO, and expressed New Delhi's resolve to "expand and diversify" bilateral trade channels with Iran.
The Iranian President also highlighted the longstanding relationship between Iran and India and the scope for expanding areas of common interest.
"Our presence at this summit is a good opportunity to meet and discuss with various officials, including those from China, Russia, Brazil, India, and other countries," he said.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. India's Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus.
BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
The grouping currently comprises 11 countries -- Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.
India's BRICS Chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures. The expanded grouping provides a platform for cooperation on development, climate action, technology, energy and financial resilience, while also contributing to discussions on reforms in global institutions.
For India, the 2026 Chairship is focused on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, while building consensus among its diverse members and strengthening the effectiveness of existing mechanisms.