Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed him at the airport, marking Putin’s first visit to India since the Ukraine war began nearly four years ago.
Putin is accompanied by senior officials and a sizeable Russian business delegation for the two-day visit, aimed at deepening economic cooperation between Moscow and New Delhi beyond traditional sectors like energy and defence.
Modi will host Putin for a private dinner on Thursday, with formal summit talks scheduled for Friday.
Modi’s presence to greet Putin on arrival at the airport is a rare gesture, as visiting foreign leaders are usually received by senior Indian ministers.
The two leaders embraced each other on the red carpet after Putin walked down from the aircraft.
Most recently, Modi received Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in February.
He also went to the airport to receive US President Donald Trump when he visited India in 2020.
