New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at the airport here on Thursday evening to personally receive Russian President Vladimir Putin, who arrived on a two-day State visit to India.
Modi, who shares a great personal rapport with Putin, warmly welcomed the Russian President with a handshake and a hug as the latter disembarked from his aircraft at Delhi’s Palam Technical Airport.
President Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi on Thursday to hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi, who was at the airport to receive the Russian President, welcomed him warmly with a handshake and a hug.
🇷🇺🇮🇳 President Vladimir #Putin has arrived in India for a two-day state visit.
The Russian leader received a warm personal welcome from Prime Minister @narendramodi.#DruzhbaDosti pic.twitter.com/jUeufbIdCv
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) December 4, 2025
The Kremlin said that Prime Minister Modi’s gesture of receiving the President at the aircraft ramp was an unexpected surprise as it had not been communicated to the Russian side in advance.
Modi then welcomed Putin in his car and the two leaders travelled together to the Indian PM’s official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin travel in the same car, as they depart from the Palam Technical Airport in Delhi
President Putin is on a two-day State visit to India. He will hold the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit with PM Narendra Modi in… pic.twitter.com/OTGEJmPCrB
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2025
Modi will host Putin for a private dinner. On Friday, Putin and Modi will headline the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit in Delhi.
This was the second time the two leaders shared a car ride, after their drive together to the venue of the bilateral meet in the Russian President’s Aurus Senat at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China’s Tianjin on September 1.
“Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. Looking forward to our interactions later this evening and tomorrow. India-Russia friendship is a time tested one that has greatly benefitted our people,” Modi posted on X along with pictures of the two leaders.
Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. Looking forward to our interactions later this evening and tomorrow. India-Russia friendship is a time tested one that has greatly benefitted our people.@KremlinRussia_E pic.twitter.com/L7IORzRfV9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 4, 2025
This is Putin’s first visit to India in four years. It’s extremely significant as issues like sales of Russian oil, missile systems and fighter jets, and strategic agreements beyond defence equipment and energy are likely to be on the agenda.
Ahead of Putin’s arrival, the Defence ministers of the two nations held a meeting.
Rajnath holds talks with Russian Defence minister
Rajnath Singh expressed optimism after holding bilateral defence talks with his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov in Delhi.
“Delighted to meet with the Russian Defence Minister Mr Andrei Belousov in New Delhi. India-Russia relationship is based on a deep sense of trust, common values and mutual respect, which are the defining principles of the special and privileged strategic partnership, between both countries. India is determined for expanding capacity of indigenous defence industry for both local production and exports, under the aegis of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’. I also laid emphasis on exploring new opportunities for enhancing collaboration between both the counties across niche technologies,” Rajnath posted on X.
