India‑Russia dialogue expands with cultural exchange of Tirukkural

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin met on September 11 at the India Pavilion, New Delhi, where Modi presented Putin with a Russian translation of the Tirukkural – a celebrated Tamil classic consisting of 1,330 seven‑word verses.

The gifting ceremony was meant to showcase the universal relevance of the text’s teachings on virtue, wealth and love, and to strengthen cultural ties between the two nations. The translation, done by Naira Mkrtchyan, reflects the work’s secular, global outlook that has even influenced Russian literary giants such as Leo Tolstoy.

Modi posted the moment on X, emphasizing that the eternal wisdom of the Tirukkural now crosses language barriers to reach President Putin.

Also present were Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and senior officials from both governments. After a warm exchange of greetings, the leaders examined cooperation in politics, economics, defence, energy, space, mobility and citizen‑level interactions.

Putin’s itinerary includes attendance at the 18th BRICS Summit scheduled for September 12‑13. He was welcomed at the Delhi airport by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs.

Key topics of the bilateral talks involved a $100 billion trade target for 2030, deeper industrial partnerships in rail and tunnel projects, development of a steel value chain, increased B2B prospects and greater access for Indian firms to the Russian market.

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the India‑Russia relationship as "very close" and highlighted the "practical" rapport between Modi and Putin, stressing that it enables open and constructive discussions on global and bilateral issues.

The meeting follows an August 31 encounter in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, during the SCO summit, marking a continued series of high‑level engagements between New Delhi and Moscow.