Putin India visit live: Russia prez praises Modi's 'Make in India', says India becoming technologically sovereign

VLadimir vladimir vladimirovich putin bharat see unrecorded: Heaping kudos on initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ programme started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said India is becoming technologically sovereign. He said India is pursuing an independent and sovereign policy under the leadership of PM Modi and achieving very good results, noting that the Indian economy is one of the fastest-growing in the world.Also read: Putin stresses ‘independent foreign policies’, energy cooperation at press briefing with PM Modi | Key pointsPutin and Modi participated in the India-Russia Business Forum on Friday, after their talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi as Putin is on his two-day India visit, first in four years. At the forum, PM Modi said the countries can have joint ventures in manufacturing electric vehicles. Modi also said discussions have begun on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Eurasian Economic Union.Putin and Modi also delivered a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after talks at Hyderabad house in New Delhi on Friday. Putin's India visit will be watched closely in the US and Europe, which have urged India in recent weeks to scale down Russian energy purchases and nudged Putin to bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end. Assuring ‘uninterrupted fuel’ supply to India, Putin said that Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and "everything that is required for the development of India's energy. This comes amid growing pressure on New Delhi from the US to cut down on oil trade with Russia.This is also Putin's first visit since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. He last visited in December 2021 for the annual summit.In an interview on Thursday, Putin described his relationship with PM Modi as both professional and personal, built on mutual trust and long-term cooperation.Notably, PM Modi and the Russian President have held five telephone conversations in 2025, and held a meeting earlier this year on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of State Council Meeting in Tianjin, China, on September 1.Putin in India | Highlights from joint presserPrime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a joint press conference after talks at Hyderabad House in Delhi.Putin and Modi announced that India and Russia have finalised an economic cooperation program until 2030 with an aim to diversify mutual businesses to boost annual trade to $100 billion by 2030. The two leaders also emphasised strong energy ties.Putin said that work is underway on an agreement for India to establish a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union, adding that it could help increase trade.Putin assured uninterrupted fuel supply to India. “Russia is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India’s energy sector,” Putin said. “We are ready to continue ensuring the uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.” This comes amid mounting pressure on New Delhi from the US on scaling down on oil trade with Moscow."Over the past eight decades, the world has witnessed numerous ups and downs. Humanity has had to pass through many challenges and crises. And amidst all this, the India-Russia friendship has remained steadfast like a pole star," Modi said.Modi also talked about terrorism threat in India and said the two countries have long been standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against the menace. "Whether it is the terrorist attack in Pahalgam or the cowardly assault on the Crocus City Hall -” the root of all these incidents is the same," he said. "India's unwavering belief is that terrorism is a direct assault on the values of humanity and that global unity against it is our greatest strength," he added.Modi said India-Russia cooperation in the critical minerals sector is crucial for ensuring secure and diversified supply chains across the entire world.Modi also announced that India will soon start issuing free electronic visas for Russian tourists and groups visiting the country.