France, Sept. 12 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and leaders from the other Brics member states.

The summit comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and continued rivalry between the US and China presenting challenges for a grouping whose members have sometimes sharply differing foreign policy priorities.

Security has been stepped up across the Indian capital, with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel deployed around the summit venue and elsewhere in New Delhi. Traffic restrictions and diversions have also been imposed.

Brics was established in 2006 by B...