MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. arrived in New Delhi, India, late Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit and meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance the Philippines-India Strategic Partnership.

Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and several Cabinet secretaries arrived at the Palam Air Force Station at 11:50 p.m. Friday (local time).

The two-day BRICS Summit is set for Sept. 12 to 13, 2026.

Marcos is attending the summit as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the Philippines also invited as an “Outreach Country,” allowing non-member states to participate in the bloc’s summit discussions and dialogues.

Among the world leaders expected at the summit are Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Southeast Asian leaders also expected to attend include Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, whose country is a full BRICS member, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, whose countries are BRICS partners.

Marcos is scheduled to participate in the Open Session on Sept. 13, where he is expected to discuss the Philippines’ priorities and gains as ASEAN chair and issues affecting developing countries and emerging economies.

In his departure statement, Marcos said the Philippines would underscore ASEAN’s commitment to stronger engagement with its partners through existing frameworks.

“We will call for fairer global governance, stronger disaster preparedness, and the responsible use of new technologies, climate action, and the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law,” he said.

The President also said he would share ASEAN’s experience in promoting open and inclusive dialogue while maintaining the region’s strategic autonomy.

Marcos, Modi to review strategic partnership

Marcos is also set to meet Modi to assess progress in implementing the Philippines-India Strategic Partnership, a year after his State Visit to India.

“Prime Minister Modi and I will review the progress in the implementation of the Five-Year Plan of Action for 2025 to 2029 that underpins our Strategic Partnership,” Marcos said.

The two leaders are expected to discuss defense and maritime cooperation, trade and investment, the proposed Preferential Trade Agreement, health and pharmaceuticals, digital cooperation, tourism, direct air connectivity and people-to-people ties.

Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio said the two countries have made “rapid progress” on commitments reached during Marcos’ August 2025 State Visit, when bilateral relations were elevated to a Strategic Partnership.

In an interview with Radio Television Malacanang (RTVM), Ignacio cited service-to-service talks between the two countries’ armed forces, as well as increased official and business exchanges in financial technology, agriculture and tourism.

Bilateral trade has also continued to grow and is approaching the US$4-billion mark based on the latest available data, Ignacio said.

Indian tourist arrivals in the Philippines are likewise nearing pre-pandemic levels, he added.

Ignacio said these developments showed that Marcos’ State Visit and meeting with Modi last year had “revitalized” and “energized” relations between the two countries.

“We hope that this will continue in the years to come,” he added.

Marcos to court Indian investors

Marcos will also meet with Indian companies during his stay in New Delhi to promote investment opportunities in the Philippines.

He said Indian firms could participate in the country’s development in infrastructure, digitalization, information technology, pharmaceuticals, transport and logistics, and other sectors considered critical to Philippine growth.