India, Dec. 5 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Vladimir Putin for a private dinner at his official residence on Thursday night, setting an unusually warm and personal tone for the Russian President's 27-hour visit to India.

The dinner, which lasted nearly three hours, came shortly after PM Modi received President Putin at Delhi's Palam airport, greeting him with a hug before the two drove together in the Prime Minister's car.

Putin arrived in New Delhi around 6:35 pm, and PM Modi later shared photographs of their meeting on X, both at the airport and at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.

"Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. India-Russia friendship is a time-tested one that has greatly benefitted our people," he wrote.

The...