Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit and a high-stakes bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Modi-Putin talks come with a major defence agenda on the table — including Russia’s proposed Su-57 fighter jet deal, joint production in India, engine technology, additional S-400 systems, Pantsir air defence systems, BrahMos upgrades and the proposed $11 billion-plus Super Sukhoi upgrade of India’s Su-30MKI fleet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun high-level bilateral talks in New Delhi, with trade, defence, economic cooperation and strategic ties at the centre of the India-Russia agenda. A major highlight of the meeting was Modi's presentation of a Russian translation of the Thirukkural to Putin, bringing Tamil classical literature and India's cultural heritage into the diplomatic engagement. The Thirukkural, comprising 1,330 couplets, added a significant cultural dimension to the leaders' discussions. The talks also focus on an ambitious $100 billion India-Russia bilateral trade target by 2030, with New Delhi seeking greater access to Russian markets and expanded industrial cooperation across sectors including railways and tunnelling. WATCH