PM Modi, Putin attend INNOPROM, hail growing business engagement

PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the INNOPROM industrial exhibition in New Delhi, highlighting the growing economic partnership. They aim for USD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 amid the BRICS Summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the India-Russia economic partnership continues to gather momentum as he and Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the INNOPROM industrial exhibition in the national capital, bringing together companies from both countries.

"The India-Russia economic partnership continues to gather momentum. In Delhi, President Putin and I participated in INNOPROM, bringing together several companies from both countries. It reflects the growing depth of our business engagement," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The India-Russia economic partnership continues to gather momentum. In Delhi, President Putin and I participated in INNOPROM, bringing together several companies from both countries. It reflects the growing depth of our business engagement. Индийско-Российское экономическое… pic.twitter.com/s6MClfA4cF — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2026

PM Modi and Putin visited the INNOPROM Exhibition at Bharat Mandapam following their bilateral meeting in New Delhi, underlining the focus on expanding industrial and economic cooperation between the two countries. The two leaders had earlier travelled together by car to Bharat Mandapam after their bilateral talks before visiting the exhibition.

Modi, Putin Eye $100 Billion Trade by 2030

During their bilateral meeting, an ambitious target of taking India-Russia bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030 was among the issues discussed. The success of INNOPROM in India was also on the agenda of their discussions.

Bringing INNOPROM to India has opened avenues for expanding industrial cooperation with Russia, greater collaboration in the rail sector and tunnelling, development of the steel value chain, creation of more business-to-business opportunities and broader access to the Russian market.

INNOPROM, the International Industrial Exhibition, serves as a global platform bringing manufacturers and buyers together. It provides opportunities to showcase technologies, access international markets and facilitate business-to-business networking.

Cultural Diplomacy: A Gift of 'Thirukkural'

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 another post on X, PM Modi said, "Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders."

BRICS Summit Takes Center Stage

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.

In a visual display of solidarity, PM Modi was seen walking alongside Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on a red-carpet corridor inside the summit venue. PM Modi was also seen holding hands with Pezeshkian as the leaders proceeded through the venue.

BRICS Business Forum 2026

Earlier in the day, PM Modi and other BRICS leaders participated in the BRICS Business Forum 2026 in New Delhi. Addressing its Leaders' Session, PM Modi said BRICS nations have emerged as important centres of global innovation and solutions amid global uncertainties.

"Today, BRICS nations represent 50 per cent of the world's population, 40 per cent of its GDP, and over 25 per cent of global trade. Moreover, while global GDP has grown approximately two-and-a-half-fold over these years, the combined GDP of BRICS nations has expanded nearly four-and-a-half-fold. In other words, the economic strength of BRICS has grown at nearly twice the pace of the rest of the world," he said.

"The growing scale, speed, and optimism of BRICS are clearly evident among us. This forum, hosted in India, is the largest BRICS Business Forum to date," PM Modi added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said reliable business-to-business ties and economic partnerships are the backbone of international economic relations.

"This gathering shows the growing interest in strengthening business contacts and relations across the BRICS space. It is evident that reliable business-to-business ties and economic partnerships are the backbone of international economic relations. It helps build relations in a stronger, more resilient manner. It helps to overcome the problems the world is facing," Putin said.

The BRICS Business Forum is the flagship private-sector platform of the grouping and is convened annually in the Summit host country on the eve of the Leaders' Summit. It brings together business leaders, Ministers and Heads of State to discuss trade, investment, finance, technology and development challenges shaping the BRICS economic agenda.

The forum also serves as a platform for presenting key ideas and recommendations from the Business Council, which are regularly reflected in BRICS Summit declarations and follow-up work plans, particularly in areas such as intra-BRICS trade, investment, digital economy, MSMEs, standards cooperation and value-chain integration.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit under its 2026 chairship, guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability".

The grouping currently comprises 11 countries -- Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. India's BRICS chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures, with a focus on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)