Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 11: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is on a three-day visit to India to participate in the BRICS summit in New Delhi, held bilateral talks on Friday discussing among other things cooperation in political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to- people domains.
Both leaders shared a warm hug before they sat down for their second meeting this year, having earlier met on the margins of the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek less than two weeks ago on August 31. During the meeting, PM Modi and Putin also spoke about the war in the West Asia and the conflicts in Black Sea region that have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian sailors. PM Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy were the only way forward in resolving such conflicts.
The wide-ranging talks between the two leaders are also likely to have focussed on enhancing annual bilateral trade to ₹100 billion by 2030 and further strengthening cooperation in defence, energy and critical minerals. Moscow is one of New Delhi’s most important strategic partners and military suppliers, with the two leaders shown by broadcasters grinning and patting each other on the back at the New Delhi conference centre where Saturday’s summit will be held.
The Ministry of External Affairs said PM Modi held wide-ranging discussions with President Putin on various aspects of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. “The leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation in sectors including trade, energy, defence, space and people to people ties which remain key focus areas of the enduring India-Russia partnership,” the Ministry said.
“They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest in the regional and global sphere, including conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region. PM reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remains the way forward in resolving conflicts and India stands ready to assist in peace efforts,” the Ministry added. Putin last visited India in December 2025, but the two leaders met earlier this month at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan.
Continuing the diplomacy after the bilateral talks, Mr Modi travelled in Mr Putin’s armoured car “Aurus Senat” limousine, often called a ‘fortress-on-wheels,’ which was specially flew in to Delhi for the Russian president’s security, to the to the INNOPROM exhibition at Bharat Mandapam. It’s the same car that made headlines after PM Modi rode in it with Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China last year. The two leaders travelled together on two other occasions. Friday’s was their fourth joint car ride.
INNOPROM – the International Industrial Exhibition is a global platform that brings together manufacturers and buyers from around the world. It provides an opportunity to showcase cutting-edge technologies, access the international market, and serve as an effective B2B platform for productive networking.
Addressing the gathering at the exhibition, Mr Putin said the world was undergoing deep structural and profound changes and has moved beyond G-7, as he lauded the BRICS countries for being ready for every challenge. In his remarks, Putin said over 40 per cent of the world’s total gross domestic product (GDP) was produced by BRICS countries in the last five years. He said the BRICS countries comprise over half of the world’s total population because of which they now have “a great dynamic, vibrant, domestic markets.”
“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,” he said.
“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. That’s sad, this isn’t the nature of things. This isn’t the nature of humanity and the nature of economy,” he added.
Earlier, PM Modi gifted Putin the Russian translation of the Thirukkural written by great Indian Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar which contains extensive writings on agriculture and farmers. “Two thousand years ago, Thiruvalluvar wrote the Thirukkural. It includes the entire gamut of human life. It has been translated into the Russian language. I am confident that the people-to-people contact will increase with the translation of the Thirukkural into Russian, which will play a big role in strengthening our relations,” PM Modi told Putin.
In a subsequent post on X, PM Modi wrote, “Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders.”
The Russian leader is accompanied by a high-level delegation. His visit comes amid continued high-level engagement between New Delhi and Moscow and follows his meeting with PM Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek last week.
Speaking to Indian media persons ahead of Putin’s visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had said the two leaders would discuss bilateral ties and ongoing global issues, with the Russian President informing PM Modi about the current situation in the Ukraine conflict. Defence cooperation is likely to be among the key areas on the agenda. The two leaders are expected to discuss ongoing and prospective defence projects.
The two leaders are also expected to deliberate on strengthening civil nuclear cooperation, including fuel cycle and life cycle support. Increasing mobility of Indian skilled labourers to Russia and cooperation in critical minerals are also set to be discussed, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the BRICS Finance Ministers and central bank governors on Friday discussed practical solutions for efficient cross-border payment mechanisms, with the BRICS Payment Task Force exploring ways to make payments between member countries faster, cheaper, more accessible, transparent and secure. The discussions also covered improving interoperability between payment and messaging systems and promoting trade settlements and investments using local currencies, while recognising that solutions must take into account the national priorities of individual BRICS members.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said exports from BRICS countries have risen from about $900 billion in 2003 to $6 trillion in 2024, reflecting the scale of its market and potential. Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum here, Goyal also said the share of BRICS nations in global exports has nearly doubled to about 24%. “This is the largest BRICS business forum ever held. The Forum has taken up issues such as non-tariff barriers impacting global value chains, agriculture and agri-technologies, services trade, women-led enterprises and digital economy,” he said.