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New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday on the sidelines of the two-day 18th BRICS summit starting on Saturday in New Delhi. The two leaders reviewed the progress made in various areas of India-Russia cooperation including defence, energy, trade, space, skills mobility and people-to-people contacts.

Discussion on political and economic cooperation

PM Narendra Modi and Putin reviewed bilateral cooperation in areas ranging from political, economic, defence, energy, space, skills mobility and people-to-people contacts. Both the leaders welcomed Russia's international industrial exhibition 'Innoprom India', organized for the first time in India from 9 to 11 September, and described it as important in promoting bilateral trade and industrial cooperation.

Both the leaders visited 'Innoprom India'

During the meeting, PM Modi and Putin visited the 'Innoprom India' exhibition and interacted with the stakeholders participating in it. The areas to industrial and business cooperation between India and Russia were displayed in the exhibition.

Discussion on regional and global issues also

The two leaders exchanged views on India-Russia cooperation in multilateral fora, particularly under India's 2026 BRICS Chairmanship. Apart from this, major regional and global developments of mutual interest, including conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region, were also discussed.

Emphasis on maritime trade and safety of Indian sailors

Both sides also discussed the impact of these conflicts on maritime trade and the safety of Indian seafarers. PM Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward to resolve conflicts. He said that India is ready to contribute to peace efforts.

Special strategic partnership will become stronger

PM Modi and Putin agreed to maintain contacts to further strengthen the India-Russia 'special and privileged strategic partnership'. Both leaders said that despite geopolitical uncertainties, bilateral relations have continued to strengthen.

Putin invited PM Modi to visit Russia

President Putin invited PM Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit, which PM Modi accepted. The date of the summit will be decided through diplomatic channels as per the convenience of both the countries.

Thirukkural presented to Putin in Russian language

After the meeting, PM Modi shared the video of his conversation with Putin on social media platform X. He said that he presented the Russian translation of Tirukkural to the Russian President. PM Modi said that it conveys the eternal teachings of the great saint Thiruvalluvar across languages ​​and borders.

Countries imposing sanctions are themselves struggling with industrial decline: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the BRICS Business Forum on Friday that the world is going through a period of major economic and structural changes. New growth engines are emerging in place of old economic centers and business-to-business relations and economic partnerships are playing an important role in the global economy.

Putin said that in the last five years, BRICS countries generated more than 40 percent of global GDP, while the share of G7 was about 29 percent. BRICS also contributed more than half to global economic growth, while G7's share was about 18 percent. He attributed this to the large population of BRICS countries and the rapidly growing domestic market. Targeting Western countries, Putin said that countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia are facing problems like industrial decline and budget deficit.