Russian President Vladimir Putin received a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he inspected a tri-services guard of honour and listened as the Russian and Indian national anthems were played.
He was welcomed by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and others. President Murmu and President Putin introduced members of the visiting and Indian delegations to one another. Russian officials present included defence minister Andrey Belousov and Kremlin aide Dmitry Peskov.
The visit is a two-day state visit to India at Prime Minister Modi’s invitation and is the leaders’ first in-person meeting on Indian soil in four years. Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, where Modi broke protocol to greet him on the tarmac and embraced him.
The two leaders later shared a car ride to Modi’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg, and during the visit Putin was presented with a copy of the Bhagavad Gita. Modi posted on X that their friendship is a “time-tested one” and said he was pleased to welcome Putin back after four years.
While in India, Putin will take part in the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit with Prime Minister Modi, attend an India-Russia business forum, and oversee the launch of the RT channel in India. He is also scheduled to attend a state banquet hosted by President Murmu before departing later the same evening.
