Modi-Putin bilateral talks conclude in Delhi, duo share a car ride to INNOPROM exhibition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday on the margins of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, according to an official readout from the Prime Minister's Office.

This was their second meeting this year, following talks in Bishkek on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit on August 31, 2026.

Putin had arrived in the capital earlier in the day and was welcomed upon arrival by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.


The Thirukkural gift

During the talks, PM Modi gifted Putin a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the classical Tamil scripture composed by the weaver-saint Thiruvalluvar. "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.

Also read: What is Thirukkural? 2,500-year-old ancient Tamil text written by poet Thiruvalluvar that PM Modi gifted to Vladimir Putin during BRICS Summit

The Thirukkural consists of 1,330 couplets, each two lines long, structured around three universal values — aram (virtue), porul (wealth and statecraft), and inbam (love). Revered by Tamils as a sacred scripture, it is often referred to as "the Tamil Veda".

What the two leaders discussed

According to the PMO, Modi and Putin reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to-people domains. They welcomed Russia's International Industrial Exhibition "INNOPROM India", held for the first time in India from September 9-11, and underscored its importance in expanding trade and industrial ties between the two countries. The two leaders also visited the INNOPROM India exhibition together and interacted with participants.

The leaders also exchanged views on India-Russia engagement in the multilateral sphere, particularly within BRICS under India's Chairship for 2026, and shared perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region, which have affected maritime trade as well as the safety and security of Indian seafarers. PM Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remained the way forward in resolving these conflicts, and that India stood ready to assist in peace efforts.

The two sides agreed to remain engaged in strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries further, noting that it continues to register significant growth and has shown resilience amid geopolitical uncertainties. President Putin also invited PM Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit, an invitation the Prime Minister accepted; the dates for the summit will be finalised through diplomatic channels.

The INNOPROM visit

INNOPROM, the International Industrial Exhibition, is a global platform bringing together manufacturers and buyers from around the world, offering a venue to showcase technologies, access international markets, and network on B2B opportunities. Its presence in India this year was part of the broader push to deepen India-Russia industrial ties.

India's BRICS Chairship this year is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", with development, sustainability and innovation as key focus areas. BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions, with an agenda covering development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

Also read: Elephant, Dragon & Bear: Modi, Xi and Putin may converge at BRICS for a big power play

The grouping currently comprises 11 countries — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE — which together account for around 49.5% of the global population, 40% of global GDP, and 26% of global trade, according to background information on India's 2026 Chairship. India's Chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures.

Friday's bilateral was Modi and Putin's second meeting this year and the latest in a continuing pattern of leader-level engagement between the two countries, including their meeting on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek on August 31, 2026. The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi is expected to bring together leaders and senior representatives from across the grouping over the two-day meeting starting Saturday.

(With inputs from ANI)