Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled together in the same official car after arriving in Delhi, offering a strong visual signal of the warmth between the two leaders as Putin began his state visit. The shared car ride immediately drew attention, echoing a similar moment in September 2025 when Modi and Putin travelled together after the SCO Summit proceedings in China’s Tianjin.
As the two leaders exited the airport in Delhi, PM Modi and President Putin were seen travelling in the same vehicle, a gesture that has sparked considerable diplomatic and public interest.
Before Putin’s aircraft landed, the website Flight Radar 24 reported that it was the most tracked flight in the world, reflecting global attention on the visit.
This is not the first time the leaders have shared a vehicle. During the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin in September 2025, Modi and Putin also travelled together to the venue of their bilateral meeting.
That moment, widely photographed, was read as a pointed visual message at a time when US President Donald Trump had announced a tariff onslaught targeting New Delhi’s oil trade with Moscow.
In China, PM Modi’s car followed Putin’s vehicle, the Aurus Senat, while today in Delhi, the protocol was reversed, the Russian President’s vehicle trailed the Toyota Fortuner carrying both leaders.
The coordinated movement of the convoys has once again placed the spotlight on the personal rapport between Modi and Putin, as well as the geopolitical implications of the optics surrounding their engagements.