BRICS Summit 2026: PM Modi, President Putin’s ‘Car Diplomacy’ Returns In New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin displayed their close rapport in New Delhi on Friday. The two leaders travelled in the same car to the INNOPROM Exhibition after concluding their bilateral talks at Bharat Mandapam.

India and Russia’s industry and trade Ministries are organising the exhibition. Their joint journey reflected similar moments from recent international engagements.

PM Modi and President Putin travelled together in Kyrgyzstan on August 31. They attended the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games.

The leaders travelled there after their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. They shared a car to their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Leaders’ Summit in Tianjin last year.

Analysts have described these journeys as PM Modi’s ‘car diplomacy’. The moments generated considerable discussion across social media platforms.

On Friday, PM Modi presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural. The classic Tamil text contains 1,330 short couplets, known as Kurals. Each Kural comprises seven words.

The work, written by Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, explores virtue, wealth and love. It is widely recognised for its universal and secular character. Naira Mkrtchyan translated the book into Russian.

The acclaimed literary work has inspired scholars worldwide, including celebrated Russian writer Leo Tolstoy.

Taking to X, PM Modi posted, “I presented a Russian translation copy of the sacred Thirukkural by the divine scholar Thiruvalluvar to Russian President Putin. The Thirukkural proclaims the immeasurable wisdom of Thiruvalluvar that transcends national borders and languages.”

ரஷ்ய அதிபர் புதினுக்கு தெய்வப்புலவர் திருவள்ளுவரின் திருக்குறள் ரஷ்ய மொழிபெயர்ப்பு பிரதியை பரிசளித்தேன். திருக்குறள் தேச எல்லைகள், மொழிகளைக் கடந்த திருவள்ளுவரின் அளப்பரிய ஞானத்தைப் பறைசாற்றுகிறது. pic.twitter.com/7bNWMcMTH7

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2026

Putin Arrives for BRICS Summit

Putin arrived in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit, where Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh received him.

Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin of Russia for the 18th BRICS Summit. He was received by MoS @KVSinghMPGonda at the airport.

India and Russia share multifaceted and longstanding ties anchored in Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.#BRICS2026 #BRICSIndia2026… pic.twitter.com/pwxcO2aHLt

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 10, 2026

India’s BRICS chairship follows the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’. It reflects Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in ‘Humanity First’.

The leaders will discuss stronger intra-BRICS cooperation and exchange views on key global and regional issues.

Also Read: BRICS Summit 2026: New Delhi Welcomes Egypt And Iran Presidents For Key Talks