Russian President Vladimir Putin was full of praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a sit-down interview with India Today ahead of his India visit. While speaking about India’s economic, defence and manufacturing growth, Putin described PM Modi as a reliable leader deeply committed to the country.
Putin praises PM Modi: ‘He lives and breathes India’
When asked about his relations with PM Modi, Putin told India Today, “We have very trustworthy and friendly relations. He is a very reliable person. In that sense, I’m speaking very sincerely. India got lucky. He lives and breathes India”.
The two leaders are known to share a special friendship that often draws global attention. Putin landed in India on December 4 at Delhi’s Palam Airport, and PM Modi personally arrived to receive him. The two greeted each other with a warm hug before travelling together in one car, similar to their drive during the SCO Summit in China.
Putin recalled Modi’s earlier visit to Moscow and spoke about how natural their conversations feel. “He travelled here, and we sat together at my residence. We drank tea the whole evening and discussed a range of topics. We simply had an interesting conversation, purely like humans,” he said.
Putin also recalled that during their meeting in Tianjin three months earlier, he had taken Modi for a drive in his own vehicle, a moment that made global headlines, especially given the strained geopolitical environment and pressure from the US on India’s ties with Moscow.
Putin calls India’s progress “almost like a miracle”
In the same interview, Putin also praised India’s rapid economic and developmental rise. He said the country had achieved “almost like a miracle” in just 77 years since independence and commended India for becoming the world’s third-largest economy in purchasing power terms.
He said global attention on his visit was natural. “The world will be watching our visit. There is no big deal here. India is an enormous country, home to more than a billion people, with a growing economy of a 7 percent annual growth rate, leading among major global powers.”
Putin credited Modi for this progress. “PM has made this possible. It is something both the Indian nation and PM Modi himself can rightfully claim as an achievement. Naturally, there will always be critics who think progress could have been greater, but that does not diminish the achievement.”
Putin didn’t hesitate to point out how India’s economic rise contrasts with several Western economies that once dominated the global stage. “India’s economy in purchasing power ranks third,” he noted, saying that some G7 nations, including the UK, now rank much lower.
He said PM Modi is completely focused on strengthening India–Russia ties across economic cooperation, defence, humanitarian work, and high-technology development. “It is very interesting to meet him,” he added.
Putin said the global order is shifting, and that groups like BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the G20 now show the true picture of global diplomacy. India plays a central role in all three.
This is Putin’s first visit to India since 2021 and comes at the 25th anniversary of the India–Russia strategic partnership. Several important agreements are likely to be signed during the summit.