Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, with the two leaders reviewing the progress of bilateral cooperation across key areas including defence, energy, trade, space and people-to-people ties.
The meeting was the second interaction between PM Modi and Putin this year. The two leaders had earlier met on August 31 on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek.
India-Russia economic and industrial ties discussed
PM Modi and Putin reviewed cooperation in the political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to-people sectors.
The leaders welcomed Russia’s International Industrial Exhibition INNOPROM India, held in India for the first time from September 9 to 11. They underlined the importance of the exhibition in expanding bilateral trade and industrial cooperation.
The two leaders also visited the INNOPROM India exhibition during their engagement and interacted with participating stakeholders.
Regional and global issues discussed
The leaders exchanged views on India-Russia engagement in multilateral forums, particularly BRICS under India’s 2026 chairship.
They also discussed key regional and global developments of mutual interest, including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region. The two sides noted the impact of these conflicts on maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers.
PM Modi reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy remain the way forward for resolving conflicts, and said India was ready to contribute to peace efforts.
Putin invites PM Modi to Russia
PM Modi and Putin agreed to maintain engagement aimed at further strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.
The two leaders noted that bilateral ties have continued to grow and demonstrated resilience despite geopolitical uncertainties.
President Putin invited PM Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit. PM Modi accepted the invitation, with the dates of the summit to be finalised through diplomatic channels according to mutual convenience.
PM Modi gifts Russian translation of Thirukkural
Following the meeting, PM Modi shared a video of his interaction with Putin on X and said, “Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders.”
