Deja vu: Modi, Putin Share Carpool Moment

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in India made Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminisce some deja vu moments in the national capital.

After his arrival, Modi and Putin travelled in the same official car as they came out of the airport in Delhi. This made the people recall the carpool done by Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in September this year. The duo travelled in the same vehicle from the SCO Summit venue to Ritz-Carlton, the destination of their bilateral meeting after the Summit proceedings.

Travelling in the same car at the SCO Summit drew the attention of the world leaders as US President Donald Trump imposed higher tariff on India, opposing New Delhi’s oil trade with Moscow.

“The car ride with PM Modi was my idea. It was a symbol of our friendship,” Putin told during an interview by a leading media house India Today.

In China, Modi’s car followed Putin’s vehicle, the Aurus Senat in which they sat together for quite some time, and in New Delhi, the Russian President’s vehicle trailed the Toyota Fortuner in which the two leaders travelled today.

Before landing in India, Putin’s aircraft was the most tracked flight in the world, said Website Flight Radar 24.