BRICS Summit 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gifted Russian President Vladimir Putin a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the classical Tamil poem collection authored by poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, during their bilateral meeting ahead of the BRICS Summit.

The edition was published in 2026 by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil and translated into Russian by Naira Mkrtchyan. The institute lists this volume as part of its Thirukkural translation series.

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PM Modi Gifts Russian Translation Of Thirukkural To Putin

"Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders," PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

While presenting the book, PM Modi told Putin, "Two thousand years ago, Thiruvalluvar wrote the Thirukkural. It includes the entire gamut of human life. It has been translated into the Russian language. I am confident that people-to-people contact will increase with this translation, playing a major role in strengthening our relations."

The Thirukkural is one of the best-known works of classical Tamil literature, covering themes such as ethics, governance, friendship, justice, and personal conduct.

PM Modi, Putin Hold Bilateral Meeting: What Was On Agenda

The exchange took place as PM Modi and Putin held bilateral talks at Bharat Mandapam on Friday, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, being hosted by India on September 12 and 13.

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According to government sources, the bilateral discussions focused on several key areas, including:

  • Ambitious Trade Target: Scaling bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030.
  • Industrial and Business Cooperation: Expanding industrial ties through INNOPROM in India, collaborating in rail and tunnelling sectors, developing the steel value chain, increasing B2B opportunities, and broadening access to the Russian market.
  • Civil Nuclear Energy: Strengthening civil nuclear cooperation, including fuel cycle and life cycle support.
  • Labour Mobility: Enhancing workforce collaboration to increase the flow of skilled Indian labour to Russia.
  • Critical Minerals: Deepening partnership and joint exploration in critical minerals.
  • Fertiliser Supply: Sustaining and expanding fertiliser cooperation through strategic joint venture (JV) projects.

(With Inputs From Agencies)