Putin on India Today: 'Car Ride With Modi Was My Idea, A Symbol of Friendship'

In a global exclusive ahead of his India visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to India Today’s Foreign Affairs Editor Geeta Mohan and Senior Executive Editor Anjana Om Kashyap at the Kremlin. President Putin shares the backstory of his viral car ride with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SCO summit, revealing, ‘It was not pre-planned... I suggested that we should get together just, you know, as a sign of friendship.’ The Russian leader also lauds India’s economic performance, noting the ‘rate of growth is 7.7 percent’, and discusses future cooperation in high technology and energy.