In a unique display of personal warmth and vehicular diplomacy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared a limousine ride across Bharat Mandapam campus in New Delhi on Friday, following extensive bilateral discussions held a day ahead of the Brics summit.
The joint journey to Innoprom exhibition marked the fourth time the two leaders have shared a car ride, reports NDTV.
Modi first rode with Putin during Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China last year, which was followed by two subsequent joint car journeys.
Broadcasters captured the two leaders grinning and patting each other on the back at New Delhi conference centre.
Strengthening strategic ties and cultural bonds
According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi and Putin engaged in wide-ranging discussions regarding India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
The leaders reviewed progress across key sectors of their enduring partnership, including trade, energy, defence, space, and people-to-people ties. Moscow remains one of New Delhi’s most crucial strategic partners and military suppliers.
During the exchange, the two leaders also evaluated regional and global developments, including ongoing conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region.
Reaffirming India’s position, Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remain the sole way forward to resolve conflicts, adding that India stands ready to assist in peace efforts.
Adding a strong cultural dimension to the summit, Modi presented Putin with a Russian translation of “Thirukkural,” the classical Tamil scripture composed 2,000 years ago by the weaver-saint Thiruvalluvar.
“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,” Modi told Putin during their meeting.
In a subsequent post on X, Modi mentioned that the scripture “carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders.”
Putin last visited India in December 2025, though the two leaders had met earlier this month at an SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan.
