Russia-India Relations: PM Modi Presents Special Bhagavad Gita Gift to President Putin

On Thursday, by breaking protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the airport to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the airport, Putin was welcomed with cultural performances. From there, both leaders travelled to the Prime Minister’s residence in PM Modi’s Fortuner car. During their meeting, the two leaders clicked a selfie, and PM Modi also gifted President Putin a copy of the Bhagavad Gita in the Russian language, which he later shared in his X post. On 5 December, it was the second day of President Putin’s visit to India. His schedule for the day was as follows: At 11 AM, a ceremonial welcome was organized for the Russian President at Rashtrapati Bhavan. At 11:30 AM, he proceeded to Rajghat to offer floral tributes. At 1:50 PM, both leaders met at Hyderabad House for the bilateral talks, followed by addressing the India–Russia Business Forum at 3:40 PM and a meeting with Indian business leaders. The visit was scheduled to conclude meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at 7 PM.m The main aim of this visit was to strengthen defence cooperation, boost trade relations without the influence of any third party, and enhance opportunities for MSMEs. According to sources, both nations were expected to sign 10 intergovernmental agreements and 25 commercial agreements. These agreements covered various sectors, including health, fertilizers, connectivity, transportation, cultural promotion, and scientific collaboration. The meeting also marked the celebration of 25 years of the India–Russia strategic partnership, first formalized under Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s leadership.