Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with a Russian translation of the Tamil classic 'Thirukkural' during their bilateral discussions in New Delhi ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
The literary gift comes as India and Russia seek to strengthen their long-standing strategic partnership, with economic and industrial cooperation expected to feature prominently in the Modi-Putin talks.
On the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, Modi and Putin met in New Delhi for bilateral discussions. Putin arrived in India on Friday for the summit, which India is hosting on September 12 and 13.
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One of Tamil literature's most esteemed works, the Thirukkural consists of 1,330 couplets covering morality, virtue, government, love and how to live. By presenting Putin with a Russian-language edition, Modi also showcased India's literary and cultural heritage.
The gift came as Moscow and New Delhi seek to expand their long-standing strategic partnership beyond conventional areas of cooperation.
Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders. pic.twitter.com/rvk3rRDnvg
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2026
Increasing economic and industrial ties between Russia and India are expected to be a major focus of the Modi-Putin discussions.
The two presidents are expected to discuss steps to increase business-to-business opportunities and facilitate Indian enterprises' access to the Russian market, as well as an ambitious goal of raising bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.
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Industrial cooperation, including the INNOPROM India programme, which aims to strengthen manufacturing and industrial collaboration between the two countries, is also expected to play a significant role. Areas such as railways, tunnelling and the expansion of the steel value chain could also feature in the discussions.
The two sides are also considering increasing cooperation in civil nuclear energy, including life-cycle support and the nuclear fuel cycle.
According to reports, the leaders could also discuss greater mobility of skilled workers, including more Indian skilled workers travelling to Russia.
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