Modi, Egypt's El-Sisi meet at 18th BRICS Summit to deepen bilateral ties
Synopsis
On the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, PM Modi and Egypt's President El-Sisi doubled down on their Strategic Partnership — flagging green hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, and the Suez Canal Economic Zone as the next frontier. With Modi personally urging Indian companies to invest in Egypt, the meeting signals a deliberate push to convert diplomatic warmth into hard economic engagement.
Key Takeaways
PM Modi and President El-Sisi met on 13 September 2026 on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi .
Both sides reviewed the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership , with focus on manufacturing, clean energy, green hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, and IT.
President El-Sisi highlighted Egypt's strengths, including the Suez Canal Economic Zone and its free trade agreement network, to attract Indian investment.
PM Modi encouraged Indian companies to increase investments in Egypt and strengthen business community ties.
Both leaders reaffirmed commitment to advancing Global South priorities through BRICS.
Following the meeting, PM Modi posted on X noting the 'significantly growing' India-Egypt friendship.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Sunday, 13 September 2026, with the two leaders reviewing the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership and discussing cooperation across trade, defence, technology, and clean energy. The meeting signals a deepening of ties between the two nations even as both seek to amplify the voice of the Global South through multilateral platforms.
Key Discussions at the Meeting
According to a statement from Mohamed El-Shenawy, spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency, President El-Sisi underlined the urgency of taking concrete steps to strengthen the bilateral partnership, with a particular focus on manufacturing, technology, clean energy, and the automotive sector. El-Sisi also drew attention to Egypt's strategic advantages — including its location, qualified workforce, extensive free trade agreement network, and incentives under the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Prime Minister Modi, in turn, expressed India's readiness to deepen ties across sectors and encouraged Indian companies to scale up investments in Egypt. He underscored the importance of strengthening business community linkages between the two countries to support joint projects and facilitate the transfer of expertise and technology.
Sectors Identified for Cooperation
The two leaders specifically identified new and renewable energy, green hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, and information technology as priority areas for expanded collaboration. These sectors align with both countries' domestic policy agendas — India's push under its National Green Hydrogen Mission and Egypt's ambition to become a regional energy hub.
BRICS Context and Global South Priorities
President El-Sisi praised India's chairmanship of the BRICS grouping, crediting New Delhi's stewardship with strengthening cooperation among member nations in a manner that advances the interests of the Global South. PM Modi, for his part, welcomed Egypt's active participation in the summit. Both leaders reaffirmed that their countries would continue to coordinate closely through BRICS to advance Global South priorities, according to a statement released by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Modi's Post-Meeting Remarks on X
Following the meeting, PM Modi posted on X: 'Had a wonderful interaction with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during the BRICS Summit. We talked about various issues, notably regional issues and the India-Egypt friendship that is significantly growing in recent times.'
This is the latest in a series of high-level engagements between the two nations since Egypt was elevated to a Strategic Partner of India. Notably, El-Sisi was the chief guest at India's Republic Day in 2023, marking a symbolic milestone in the bilateral relationship. The BRICS meeting builds on that momentum, with both sides now looking to translate strategic intent into measurable economic outcomes.
Point of View
And India's interest in anchoring manufacturing and pharma investment there reflects a pivot beyond the traditional Gulf playbook. Yet the pattern of India-Egypt engagements, dating to the 2023 Republic Day chief guest moment, has produced headline warmth without a commensurate jump in two-way trade. The real test is whether the 'encourage Indian companies to invest' framing translates into binding frameworks — free trade agreement movement, institutional financing, or dedicated industrial clusters — rather than remaining aspirational talking points on the BRICS sidelines.
NationPress
13 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did PM Modi and President El-Sisi discuss at the BRICS Summit?
The two leaders reviewed the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership, focusing on cooperation in manufacturing, clean energy, green hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. They also discussed regional issues and ways to advance Global South priorities through BRICS.
What is the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership?
The India-Egypt Strategic Partnership is a formal bilateral framework that elevated relations between the two countries, marked symbolically when President El-Sisi was the chief guest at India's Republic Day in 2023. It covers trade, defence, technology, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges.
Why did President El-Sisi highlight the Suez Canal Economic Zone?
President El-Sisi cited the Suez Canal Economic Zone as one of Egypt's key competitive advantages — alongside its strategic location and free trade agreement network — to encourage Indian companies to invest in Egypt. The zone offers industrial incentives that align with India's manufacturing and export interests.
What sectors did India and Egypt identify for cooperation?
The two sides specifically identified new and renewable energy, green hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, information technology, manufacturing, and the automotive sector as priority areas for deepened collaboration.
What did PM Modi say after the meeting?
After the bilateral talks, PM Modi posted on X that he had 'a wonderful interaction with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi,' adding that they discussed regional issues and the 'India-Egypt friendship that is significantly growing in recent times.'
