PM Modi Gifts Russian Edition Of Bhagavad Gita To Putin

International

oi-Gaurav Sharma

Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
greeted
President
Vladimir
Putin
with
a
Russian
translation
of
the
Bhagavad
Gita
during
the
Russian
leader’s
two-day
visit
to
India,
underlining
the
cultural
side
of
the
India-Russia
partnership
as
both
governments
discuss
defence,
trade,
technology
and
wider
geopolitical
coordination
in
New
Delhi
till
December
5.

Sharing
a
photo
of
the
exchange
on
X,
PM
Modi
calls
the
Hindu
scripture
a
global
guide.
“Presented
a
copy
of
the
Gita
in
Russian
to
President
Putin.
The
teachings
of
the
Gita
give
inspiration
to
millions
across
the
world,” PM
Modi
said.
The
gift
signals
shared
interest
in
spiritual
and
cultural
links
alongside
strategic
talks.

India-Russia
partnership
visit
highlights
and
key
schedule

Putin
arrives
in
India
on
December
4,
marking
the
first
visit
in
four
years,
and
remains
in
New
Delhi
till
December
5.
During
the
trip,
Putin
and
PM
Modi
are
set
to
hold
the
23rd
India-Russia
Annual
Summit,
where
cooperation
agendas
across
defence,
economics
and
science
feature
prominently.

Both
leaders
travel
together
from
Palam
airport
to
the
Prime
Minister’s
residence
at
7,
Lok
Kalyan
Marg,
sharing
a
car
ride
that
showcases
the
personal
rapport
between
the
two.
Welcomed
my
friend,
President
Putin
to
7,
Lok
Kalyan
Marg.@KremlinRussia_E
pic.twitter.com/2L7AZ1WIph—
Narendra
Modi
(@narendramodi)
December
4,
2025

India-Russia
partnership
messages
and
public
signals

PM
Modi
posts
several
messages
on
X,
stressing
continuity
in
India-Russia
ties.
One
post
reads,
“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.”

The
same
post
is
repeated
in
full
within
the
thread,
together
with
a
video
and
tag
to
the
Kremlin
account,
underscoring
the
public
nature
of
the
outreach.
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.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.

Another
post
carries
the
image
of
the
Bhagavad
Gita
being
handed
to
Putin,
with
the
same
line
repeated
alongside
the
photograph.
Presented
a
copy
of
the
Gita
in
Russian
to
President
Putin.
The
teachings
of
the
Gita
give
inspiration
to
millions
across
the
world.

Former
diplomat
Arun
Singh
explains
how
the
India-Russia
partnership
has
grown
over
decades
across
different
political
phases
in
Moscow.
“This
is
an
important
visit.
I
have
had
occasion
to
serve
twice
in
Moscow.
I
served
at
the
time
of
the
Soviet
Union
and
then
in
the
1990s
in
the
Russian
Federation
after
dissolution
of
the
Soviet
Union.
And
I
could
sense
that
there
is
a
historical
nature
to
the
partnership,”
he
said.

India-Russia
partnership
in
defence,
politics
and
trade

Arun
Singh
notes
that
New
Delhi
remembers
the
diplomatic
backing
it
has
received.
“There
is
a
confidence
in
the
relationship
on
both
sides.
In
India,
there
is
a
memory
of
Russia
being
an
important
partner
which
has
provided
political
support
that
we’ve
needed
from
time
to
time,
including
at
the
UN
Security
Council,”
he
added.

Singh
cites
Operation
Sindoor,
India’s
military
response
against
terror
sites
in
Pakistan
and
Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir
after
the
Pahalgam
attack
in
April,
to
highlight
the
defence
side
of
the
India-Russia
partnership.
“And
it
has
also
shared
with
us
defence
items
that
we’ve
needed,
again,
which
has
been
very
important.
If
you
saw
in
Operation
Sindoor,
among
the
weapons
systems
that
did
very
well
were
the
S-400
and
the
BrahMos
missile,
which
are
part
of
the
Russia
partnership,”
he
said.

Lydia
Kulik,
Head
of
India
Studies
at
Moscow
School
of
Management,
calls
the
current
engagement
an
extension
of
earlier
talks.
“This
visit
is
very
important
as
it
is
happening
after
quite
some
time,
and
it’s
picking
up
on
the
visit
of
PM
Modi
to
Russia
in
2024,
when
the
two
countries
set
new
agendas
in
the
new
environment.
This
visit
is
both
symbolic
and
a
spectacle,”
she
said.

Kulik
also
underlines
trade
goals
and
future
plans
for
the
India-Russia
partnership.
“India
and
Russia
are
looking
very
positively
at
their
future
in
terms
of
cooperation
on
trade
and
economy.
The
priority
at
the
moment
is
to
open
the
Russian
market
for
Indian
exporters.
Besides
trade
and
economy,
there
is
going
to
be
political
discussions,
new
deals
in
defence
and
military
cooperation
and
a
frank
exchange
of
opinions
about
the
current
situation
in
the
world,”
she
added.

The
exchange
of
the
Russian
Bhagavad
Gita,
the
warm
welcome
at
Palam,
shared
drive
to
Lok
Kalyan
Marg
and
detailed
talks
in
the
23rd
Annual
Summit
together
show
how
New
Delhi
and
Moscow
combine
symbolism
with
concrete
agendas
in
defence,
trade,
technology
and
cultural
exchanges
during
Putin’s
2025
India
visit.