Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared a car ride to the INNOPROM exhibition at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi after concluding their bilateral meeting.

The Russian leader is scheduled to address the BRICS Business Forum later in the day, marking a significant moment in India’s BRICS Chairship.

During their talks, PM Modi presented Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the classical Tamil scripture composed by the weaver-saint Thiruvalluvar. Modi highlighted that the Thirukkural, written two thousand years ago, encompasses the entire spectrum of human life and expressed confidence that its translation into Russian would strengthen people-to-people ties.

Putin arrived in New Delhi earlier on Friday ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, which India is hosting on 12–13 September. He was received by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.

Sources indicated that an ambitious bilateral trade target was discussed during the meeting, with India and Russia aiming to raise trade volumes to ₹8,33,000 crores by 2030. The success of INNOPROM in India was also a key agenda item, with both leaders recognising its role in expanding industrial cooperation, enhancing collaboration in railways and tunnelling, strengthening the steel value chain, and creating new B2B opportunities while broadening access to the Russian market.

INNOPROM, the International Industrial Exhibition, is a global platform that connects manufacturers and buyers worldwide.

It provides opportunities to showcase advanced technologies, access international markets, and foster productive networking. Its presence in India underscores the growing industrial partnership between New Delhi and Moscow.

India’s hosting of the 18th BRICS Summit is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

The agenda focuses on development, sustainability and innovation, with BRICS continuing to serve as a vital platform for coordination among major emerging economies and advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. The grouping’s scope covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The expanded BRICS now comprises 11 countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. Collectively, they represent nearly half of the world’s population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade.

India’s 2026 Chairship comes at a time of global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures.

For New Delhi, the priority is to translate the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, while building consensus among diverse members and strengthening existing mechanisms.

The shared car ride to INNOPROM, and Putin’s forthcoming address to the BRICS Business Forum, highlight the deepening India-Russia partnership and the broader significance of BRICS as a platform for global economic and strategic dialogue.

ANI