Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted with an enthusiastic reception by members of the Indian diaspora and Russian citizens upon his arrival in Kazan. Crowds gathered to welcome the Prime Minister, singing Hindi songs and chanting patriotic slogans like “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai.”

Dressed in traditional Indian attire, attendees waved Indian flags and held placards praising the Prime Minister. PM Modi acknowledged the warm gesture with folded hands, expressing gratitude for the heartfelt welcome. Among those present were Indian students in Kazan and members of ISKCON, who sang Krishna bhajans during his arrival at Hotel Korston. Russian nationals also joined in, contributing to the celebration with devotional songs.

The Prime Minister is in Russia to attend the 16th BRICS Summit, hosted under the chairmanship of Russia. This marks his second visit to Russia this year. PM Modi previously traveled to Moscow in July for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit, where he held bilateral talks with President Vladimir Putin. During that visit, he was honored with Russia’s highest civilian award, the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, at the Kremlin.

BRICS began as a formal grouping following a meeting between the leaders of Russia, India, and China in St. Petersburg during the G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. It was formalized later that year with the first BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The first BRIC Summit took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009, and South Africa officially joined the group in 2010, turning it into BRICS.

In 2024, the group expanded further with the inclusion of five new members—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—marking a significant step toward greater global engagement.

(Inputs from ANI)