PM Modi’s Gift Of Bhagavad Gita To Putin Reflects India’s Soft Power Diplomacy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed President Vladimir Putin to New Delhi with warmth and presented him with the Russian edition of the Bhagavad Gita, the revered Hindu scripture.

The gift symbolises India’s soft-power tradition and underscores the longstanding cultural, strategic, and economic partnership between the two nations.

Beyond diplomacy, this gesture also reflects India’s literary and spiritual heritage, highlighting the role of sacred texts and literature in global engagement.

The gifting of the Bhagavad Gita is rooted in PM Modi’s consistent focus on taking Indian knowledge and literature beyond national borders.

During the 2019 SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, PM Modi proposed translating ten modern Indian literary works into the languages of the SCO member nations, ensuring wider accessibility for readers across the region.

Dr K Sreenivasarao, former Secretary of Sahitya Akademi, recalled in a video shared by the social media platform Modi Story that PM Modi emphasised the importance of making the Bhagavad Gita and modern Indian literature available in multiple languages, reflecting a vision for cultural proliferation and global literary exchange.

Translation Efforts Across the Globe

Following the 2019 Summit, Indian ministries and embassies coordinated with linguistic and editorial experts to implement the translation plan.

Indian ministries and embassies focused on translating the works into Russian, Chinese, and English, among other languages, and formally released them during India’s SCO Chairmanship in the COVID era.

Friday’s gifting of the Russian edition to President Putin symbolises more than a diplomatic courtesy. It demonstrates PM Modi’s ongoing commitment to embedding Indian literature, spirituality, and culture in global discourse.

By showcasing India’s literary heritage internationally, the Prime Minister reinforces both cultural diplomacy and India’s soft power influence.

This initiative aligns with PM Modi’s broader vision of promoting Indian knowledge and literature globally, ensuring that spiritual and literary works reach new audiences and foster cross-cultural understanding.

The Bhagavad Gita’s Russian edition is not just a gift—it is a testament to India’s growing role in shaping global cultural dialogue.

Also Read: PM Modi Met Putin Three Times In 24 hours, Says ‘Russia Is The Closest Friend Of India’