Putin praises India's talent, says its coders are renowned across the world
Speaking at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), moderated by India Today's Geeta Mohan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said India and Russia share strong, trust-based and "brotherly" relations. He also praised India's human capital, noting that the country is globally recognised for its skilled workforce, especially in the technology sector.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised India's talent pool and educational standards, describing relations between the two countries as being built on trust and brotherhood.
Speaking at the plenary session of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), moderated by India Today's Geeta Mohan, Putin said Russia and India share "very good, trust-based, brotherly relations in all senses of the word".
Highlighting India's human capital, the Russian president said the country has earned global recognition for the quality of its workforce, particularly in the technology sector.
"We know how talented the Indian people are, how well-educated and competent they are. They have achieved worldwide renown, especially in coding," Putin said.
Putin also hailed India's growing importance in the global technology landscape during his opening remarks at SPIEF 2026, noting the country's significant contribution to the international software industry.
"India, which is one of our key partners, is among the leading players in the IT industry," he said.
PUTIN PRAISES INDIA'S STRATEGIC AUTONOMY
The Russian president acknowledged India's strategic autonomy, saying New Delhi has consistently pursued an independent foreign policy and resisted external pressure.
His remarks were seen as a pointed reference to US efforts to persuade India to reduce its cooperation with Moscow.
Putin stressed that national sovereignty and independent decision-making are fundamental principles that cannot be challenged.
"Naturally, India, which has never followed any diktat from abroad, or the People's Republic of China. Sovereignty and sovereign decision-making can never be contested," he said.
The remarks at the global forum come a day after the Russian President said attempts to pressure India over its ties with Russia were "useless." He said India, a reliable partner of Moscow, would not bow to pressure from Western countries.
PUTIN PRAISES INDIA'S ECONOMY
A day earlier, while speaking to editors of top news agencies, Putin praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and described India as one of the world's fastest-growing major economies.
"India is one of the leading economies of the world that has shown the highest rate of economic growth. This is not something that comes out of the blue. This is the result of the hard work that the government of India has been doing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Putin said.
Highlighting the strength of India-Russia ties, the Russian president said Moscow was committed to expanding cooperation across sectors and expressed confidence that bilateral trade could rise to $100 billion annually from the current level of around $60 billion.
He also identified clean energy, pharmaceuticals and hydrocarbons as key areas that could drive the next phase of economic engagement between the two countries.