New Delhi [India], September 11 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday visited the INNOPROM Exhibition at Bharat Mandapam following their bilateral meeting in New Delhi, underscoring the focus on expanding industrial and economic cooperation between the two countries.
The two leaders had earlier shared a car ride to Bharat Mandapam after their bilateral talks before visiting the exhibition.
The visit to INNOPROM came after discussions between PM Modi and Putin, during which an ambitious bilateral trade target was among the issues discussed, with India and Russia aiming to take bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030, according to sources.
Sources said the success of INNOPROM in India was also on the agenda of the discussion between Putin and PM Modi.
Bringing INNOPROM to India has paved the way for expanding industrial cooperation with Russia, more collaboration in the rail sector and tunnelling, developing the steel value chain, creating more B2B opportunities and broadening access to the Russian market.
INNOPROM, the International Industrial Exhibition, is a global platform that brings together manufacturers and buyers from around the world. It provides an opportunity to showcase cutting-edge technologies, access the international market, and serve as an effective B2B platform for productive networking.
Earlier, during their bilateral talks, PM Modi gifted Putin a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the classical Tamil scripture composed by the weaver-saint Thiruvalluvar.
"Two thousand years ago, Thiruvalluvar wrote the Thirukkural. It includes the entire gamut of human life. It has been translated into the Russian language. I am confident that the people-to-people contact will increase with the translation of the Thirukkural into Russian, which will play a big role in strengthening our relations," PM Modi told Putin.
In a subsequent post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders."
Putin arrived in New Delhi earlier on Friday ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, which India is hosting on September 12-13. He was welcomed upon arrival by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.
The Russian President's visit comes as India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit under its 2026 chairship. India's Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus.
BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
The grouping currently comprises 11 countries, i.e. Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.
Collectively, the BRICS members account for around 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade, according to background information on India's 2026 Chairship.
India's BRICS Chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures.
For India, the 2026 Chairship is focused on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, while building consensus among its diverse members and strengthening the effectiveness of existing mechanisms. (ANI)
PM Modi, President Putin visit INNOPROM Exhibition at Bharat Mandapam after bilateral talks
