By Swati
New Delhi, September 11, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
The nearly 45-minute meeting focused on strengthening the India-Russia strategic partnership, with trade, energy, defence and other key areas expected to figure prominently in the discussions.
At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Modi presented President Putin with a Russian-language edition of the Tirukkural, one of Tamil literature’s most celebrated classical works.
The presentation of the book highlighted India’s civilisational heritage and cultural ties with Russia, adding a distinctive cultural dimension to the high-level diplomatic engagement.
Putin is in India for the BRICS Summit being hosted by New Delhi on September 12–13. His visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral cooperation and expanding India-Russia engagement across strategic and economic sectors.
