A Gesture Reserved for Few: Modi’s Airport Welcome for Putin and Another Dignitary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport this evening, ahead of the Russian leader’s two-day visit focused on defence, energy and other key strategic issues.

The airport reception — a gesture the Prime Minister reserves for only a select group of foreign leaders — underlines the importance New Delhi places on its relationship with Moscow, especially at a time when India faces US tariff penalties linked to its imports of Russian oil.

In the past 11 years, PM Modi has accorded this rare welcome to just six world leaders, each instance signalling the significance of the bilateral relationship.

Barack Obama, 2015
The first time PM Modi made such a gesture was in 2015, when then US President Barack Obama arrived in Delhi as the Republic Day chief guest. The visit helped resolve a long-standing nuclear liability issue that had held up a multibillion-dollar agreement.

Sheikh Hasina, 2017
In April 2017, PM Modi greeted then Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the airport. Her visit came after a seven-year gap and amid political tension at home over the stalled Teesta water-sharing agreement.

Shinzo Abe, 2017
Later that year, PM Modi welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Ahmedabad. The two leaders shared a close personal rapport that helped advance major strategic projects, including India’s first bullet train corridor between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Donald Trump, 2020
In 2020, PM Modi received US President Donald Trump in Ahmedabad, where the leaders addressed a crowd of nearly 100,000 at the Motera Stadium.

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 2024
In January 2024, the Prime Minister welcomed UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was visiting India to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, 2025
This February, PM Modi received Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani at the Delhi airport during his official visit.