'Druzhba Dosti' flag flutters as PM Modi greets President Putin on tarmac

Putin arrived in New Delhi to a rare tarmac welcome from PM Modi as the two leaders prepare for a high-stakes summit on defence, trade, technology and future cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi on Thursday evening for his two-day state visit to India, with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi receiving him on the tarmac of the airport. In a gesture reminiscent of their meeting in the Chinese city of Tianjin three months earlier, the two drove away in the same vehicle, the India and Russia flags fluttering on its bonnet, to 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, where Modi hosted “friend” Putin for a private dinner.

 

The Russians have termed Putin’s visit to India, his first to this country since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, as “Druzhba Dosti”, which means ‘friendship’ in Russian and Hindi, respectively. The warmth and easy rapport that Modi and Putin share were evident at Delhi’s Palam Airport when they shook hands and hugged on the tarmac after the Russian President disembarked from his aircraft.

 

The Kremlin said PM Modi’s decision to meet the Russian President at the tarmac was “unexpected” and that the Russian side had not been informed in advance. At their last meeting in Tianjin on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, the two had embraced. Later, Putin waited in his limousine for Modi to conclude his engagements so they could travel together to the venue of the bilateral meeting. Putin and Modi sat in the vehicle for almost 45 minutes talking to each other without any aides present before joining their respective delegations. In an interview with an Indian television channel, Putin said it was his idea that the two should travel together to the venue of their meeting.

 

In July 2024, during the PM’s visit to Moscow for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit, Putin hosted Modi at his dacha in the suburb of Novo-Ogaryovo — a rare honour the Russian President reserves for a handful of visiting leaders. Over the past 11 years of his tenure, Modi has hosted other leaders for dinner at his residence, but rarely. Among those he has received on the tarmac are Barack Obama in 2015, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in 2018, the United Arab Emirates Crown Prince in 2016, the then French President François Hollande, Japan’s Shinzo Abe, and Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina.

 

The two leaders have a busy day on Friday. They will hold their 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit talks at Hyderabad House, and the two sides are expected to sign agreements across an array of sectors, strengthen their strategic partnership, and take steps to redress the imbalance New Delhi faces in its trade ties with Moscow. A sizeable Russian business delegation is in New Delhi, as are seven senior Russian ministers.

 

Moscow seeks to protect its trade with India in the face of US sanctions on New Delhi for its purchase of Russian crude. India and Russia aim to increase two-way trade to $100 billion by 2030, with Moscow looking to expand the basket of its imports from India, currently heavily skewed towards Indian purchases of Russian oil.

 

Russia is prepared to increase imports of shrimp, rice, and tropical fruit from India and has increased imports of Indian potatoes and pomegranates. It is also looking at Indian food-processing equipment and has proposed joint production of Arctic-class vessels and civilian aircraft. Putin told the news channel that Russia and India have chalked out an ambitious plan for the future, including cooperation in technology, the space sector and nuclear energy.

 

The two countries are also set to sign a mobility agreement that will allow Indian semi-skilled and skilled workers to work in Russia, especially in its healthcare and construction sectors.

 

Russian lenders Gazprombank and Alfa-Bank have sought clearance to operate in India, while Russia’s central bank said on Wednesday it had opened an office in Mumbai. Indian public-sector undertakings are expected to sign a deal with the Uralchem group, Russia’s top potash and ammonium nitrate producer, as New Delhi hopes to deepen its cooperation with Moscow in the sector. The two sides are also looking at establishing a stable Eurasian transport framework, including the Eastern Maritime Corridor to connect Vladivostok and Chennai.

 

On Thursday evening, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met a Russian delegation led by Denis Manturov, first deputy PM of the Russian Federation, and both sides discussed issues of mutual interest, encompassing investment, banking, and finance.

 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said New Delhi's purchase of crude oil from Russia may decline “for a brief period” in view of Western sanctions, but Moscow is taking steps to enhance supplies. India is hopeful of increasing pharmaceutical exports to Russia after the signing of the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

 

Peskov said there may be a discussion on the possibility of Russia supplying Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets to India. India is in the process of procuring a batch of fifth-generation fighter jets. The two sides will also explore cooperation in small modular reactors.

 

Putin will receive a ceremonial welcome on Friday morning, visit Rajghat, and, apart from the summit talks at Hyderabad House, will address a business conference along with Modi. He will inaugurate the launch of Russia Today’s India channel at ITC Maurya and then attend the banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan before returning home.