WATCH: PM Modi Picks Up Indian Flag Kept As Marker On Ground Ahead Of Photo With BRICS Leaders

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also followed suit after seeing PM Modi's gesture and picked up his nation's flag.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi picks up the Tricolour placed on the stage as a marker for his standing position, during the group photo session at the 15th BRICS Summit, in Johannesburg.

Source : PTI, ANI

New Delhi: Ahead of a group photo on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made sure he didn’t step on the Indian flag on the ground that was kept as a marker to denote the position where the leaders of the five-nation grouping would stand. A video posted by news agency ANI showed PM Modi, after noticing the Tricolour on the ground, picked it up and kept it with him. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa followed suit.

#WATCH | Johannesburg, South Africa | PM Narendra Modi notices Indian Tricolour on the ground (to denote standing position) during the group photo at BRICS, makes sure to not step on it, picks it up and keeps it with him. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa follows suit. pic.twitter.com/vf5pAkgPQo

— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2023

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, PM Narendra Modi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were a part of the group photo.

PM Modi is on a three-day visit to South Africa to attend the ongoing 15^th BRICS Summit.

"I am visiting the Republic of South Africa from 22-24 August 2023 at the invitation of H.E Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, to attend the 15th BRICS Summit being held in Johannesburg under the South African Chairmanship," statement by the PMO said.

"BRICS has been pursuing a strong cooperation agenda across various sectors. We value that BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South, including development imperatives and reform of the multilateral system. This Summit will provide a useful opportunity for BRICS to identify future areas of cooperation and review institutional development," the PMO release further said.

On the first day of the global meet, PM Modi said India will soon be a five trillion dollar economy and in the coming years will be the growth engine of the world. He was addressing the BRICS Business Forum Leaders' Dialogue.