PM Modi welcomes Putin with red-carpet reception and warm hug at Delhi airport | Video

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night began a nearly 27-hour visit to India, aimed at reinforcing a bilateral partnership that has endured for close to eight decades despite a turbulent global environment and geopolitical tensions. In a rare diplomatic gesture that underscores the strong ties between India and Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally received Putin at New Delhi's Palam airport with a hug and accorded him a warm welcome to India after a gap of four years, breaking the standard protocol.