Raj Bhavan reception, talks with Modi: Putin's day 2 itinerary
What's the story
Russian President Vladimir Putin is on a two-day state visit to India, his first since the Russia-Ukraine war started. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally received him at Palam Technical Airport in Delhi on Thursday evening, breaking protocol and sharing a car ride to a dinner at PM Modi's residence. This gesture was similar to their last car ride in Tianjin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in August.
Schedule details
Day 2 itinerary: Rajghat visit, summit talks
Friday, which marks Putin's second day, will start with a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 11:00am. He will then lay a wreath at Rajghat at 11:30am to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. This will be followed by summit talks with PM Modi at Hyderabad House at 11:50am. A press conference is scheduled for 1:50pm after the talks.
Afternoon agenda
Business event, meeting with President Murmu
In the afternoon, Putin will attend a business event at TBC. He will meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7:00pm, followed by a photo op, and depart from India at 9:00pm. The visit coincides with India-US trade negotiations following the additional 25% US-imposed tariffs on Indian imports due to India's energy ties with Russia.
Energy discussion
Putin's remarks on India-Russia energy ties
During his visit, Putin questioned why India can't buy fuel from Russia when the US does. According to India Today, he said, "As for India's purchase of energy resources from Russia... the United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants." The leaders are also expected to discuss labor and civil nuclear energy during their talks, Reuters said.