PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled together after their bilateral meeting in Delhi. The two leaders reached Bharat Mandapam in Putin’s armoured Aurus Senat car.
Both attended the INNOPROM exhibition. The ride took place a day before the 11-member BRICS Summit. Putin’s car is often described as a ‘fortress on wheels’.
It was the same car in which PM Modi travelled with Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China last year. Earlier this year, Modi and Putin also rode together in a car on August 31 during the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan.
Since 2014, PM Modi has travelled in a car with different world leaders 12 times. These include leaders such as Barack Obama and Emmanuel Macron.
After the bilateral talks, they travelled together by car to the INNOPROM exhibition held at Bharat Mandapam. The journey lasted around 5 minutes.
Modi sat with world leaders 11 times for the same task
30 September 2014 with Barack Obama
Modi’s first foreign trip as prime minister. They travelled together in the American motorcade to the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial in Washington, D.C.
4 July 2017 with Benjamin Netanyahu
In Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed Modi at Ben Gurion Airport, and they sat together in a car.
September 2025 with Putin
Tianjin, China: Putin and Modi travelled in the same car for a bilateral meeting during the SCO summit.
October 2025 with Keir Starmer
London: During the diplomatic visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer sat in a car.
December 2025 with Putin
New Delhi, India: Modi welcomed Putin at Palam Airport, and they travelled together to the Prime Minister’s official residence.
16 December 2025 with the Ethiopian PM
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: The Ethiopian prime minister welcomed Modi at the airport and drove him himself to the Science Museum.
12 January: With the German Chancellor
Gujarat, India: During the German Chancellor’s visit, Modi broke protocol by travelling with him in the same car.
31 August: With Putin
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Arrived in the same car at the opening ceremony of the sixth World Nomad Games.
11 September 2026 with Putin
New Delhi, India: Travelled together by car to the ‘INNOPROM’ exhibition held at Bharat Mandapam after the bilateral talks.
What is car diplomacy?
Car diplomacy simply refers to a situation in which the leaders of two countries set aside diplomatic formalities and travel together in the same car.
This is not an ordinary journey, but a way of showing the world that the two leaders and their countries share a deep personal friendship, ease and unwavering trust.
