Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks in New Delhi on Friday, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
During the meeting, Modi gifted Putin a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the ancient Tamil classic, saying he was confident it would deepen people-to-people ties between the two nations.
The Thirukkural, written by the Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar around two thousand years ago, comprises 1,330 couplets on ethical and righteous living.
The bilateral talks focused on expanding cooperation in trade, industry, energy, mobility and critical resources, including discussions on the rail sector and steel value chain.
Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the BRICS Summit, which India is hosting on September 12 and 13.
Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, which India is hosting on September 12 and 13.
The Thirukkural, attributed to the Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar, comprises 1,330 two-line couplets offering guidance on virtue, wealth and statecraft, written roughly two thousand years ago.
PM Modi said he was confident people-to-people contact between India and Russia would grow with the availability of the Thirukkural in Russian translation.
The bilateral discussions were expected to cover trade, industry, energy, mobility and critical resources, alongside deeper industrial cooperation.
Talks reportedly touched on plans related to INNOPROM participation in India, as well as collaboration in the rail sector and the steel value chain.
Business-to-business opportunities between Indian and Russian companies were also on the agenda during the wide-ranging talks.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, with several other world leaders also arriving in Delhi over the same period.
Security for the summit period has been tightened significantly across Delhi, with thousands of personnel deployed and airspace restrictions in effect.
India-Russia relations span decades of defence, energy and diplomatic cooperation, with the two countries holding regular bilateral summits.
PM Narendra Modi with President Vladimir Putin, PIB/Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India
