Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Western competitors of resorting to "ugly" tactics to reclaim their eroding economic dominance over BRICS nations, saying this struggle is now taking an "unseemly turn" at the governmental level.Addressing the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi, he said, "Western competitors are doing everything to get back their erstwhile competitive edge, and sometimes this competition is taking some ugly forms."Alleges attacks on pipelines, transport corridorsPutin alleged that pipelines have been attacked, attempts made to block international transport corridors, maritime vessels seized, and "other illegal restrictions" imposed on countries that refuse to fall in line.Also read: Russian President Putin invites PM Modi for 24th India-Russia Summit, discuss bilateral ties, West Asia and Black Sea conflictsHe said there is also the threat of secondary sanctions against nations that pursue independent economic policies rather than following others' interests. He referenced earlier remarks by Iran's representative at the forum, who had raised a similar point.BRICS accounts for over 40% of world GDPPutin said BRICS economies have accounted for more than 40% of world GDP over the last five years, compared to 29% for the G7, and have contributed over half of global economic growth in that period, against 18% from the G7 bloc. He said BRICS countries have great, dynamic, vibrant domestic markets, driven by rapid urbanisation and a combined population base of more than half the world's total.Putin credited this growth to the rise of homegrown BRICS companies now competing globally. He cited India's Mahindra for its IT and AI-based solutions, China's Huawei as a global technology leader, Brazil's Embraer in aerospace, DP World of the UAE in logistics, and Russia's Rosatom, which he said has been ranked the world's top company in peaceful nuclear energy."Old leaders" being replaced, says PutinSpeaking at the Leaders' Session of the BRICS Business Forum, Putin said, "Right now, the world is undergoing structural, deep, profound shifts. It is explained by the fact that the so-called old leaders, which used to be the vanguard of economic growth in the second half of the 20th century, are being replaced by new engines of growth. When I say old, this is just a formality, all of us understand what we are talking about. These so-called old leaders are still in possession of great strong suits and well-developed infrastructure, technological advantages, scientific advantages, scientific schools and so on and so forth. This is in the nature of things, in the nature of humanity and the nature of economy. The world is always changing."Putin also said Russia stands ready to contribute to global energy and food security, positioning BRICS nations as reliable suppliers amid ongoing global supply chain disruptions.Modi meets Putin, discusses trade and defence tiesPrime Minister Narendra Modi met Putin in Delhi on the sidelines of the summit, less than two weeks after their meeting in Bishkek. In a post on X, Modi said, "Delighted to meet President Putin in Delhi, less than two weeks after our meeting in Bishkek. During today's meeting, we talked about closer trade ties, including the implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030. Cooperation in areas like infrastructure, energy, technology, defence, culture, and more. India's efforts during our BRICS Presidency aimed at furthering the welfare of our planet."Sanctions on Russia "twice all other countries combined"Putin said Russia alone has faced more than 30,000 sanctions, over double the number imposed on every other country in the world combined. He said Russia's economy has nonetheless grown faster than the global average over the past three years, citing a 10.3% rise in GDP in 2023-24 and unemployment falling to a record low of 2.3%.Also read: Elephant, Dragon & Bear: Modi, Xi and Putin may converge at BRICS for a big power playHe credited this performance to structural economic reforms, an expanded trade network with "reliable, predictable partners," and domestic progress in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and digital platforms, developed partly in collaboration with BRICS partners.He added that the countries driving the sanctions push are now themselves facing industrial decline and widening budget deficits.