New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to gift Russian President Vladimir Putin a Russian translation of the Thirukkural has once again highlighted his efforts to take India’s rich cultural and literary heritage to a global audience.
The gift, presented to Putin on Friday, was described by ‘Modi Story’, an initiative documenting the Prime Minister’s work and ideas through the accounts of people who have interacted with or observed him, as another example of his efforts to showcase Indian culture on the international stage.
“This is not the first time PM Modi has taken our culture global!” the initiative said in a social media post on Saturday.
The post referred to Modi presenting Putin with the Russian edition of the Thirukkural, a celebrated Tamil literary work that carries the timeless wisdom of Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders.
Putin is currently in India to participate in the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit being hosted in New Delhi. The meeting has brought together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries for discussions on global governance, economic cooperation and strengthening multilateralism.
The Thirukkural, authored by the revered Tamil philosopher and poet Thiruvalluvar, is regarded as one of the most important works of Tamil literature. The composition deals with universal themes including ethics, politics, governance, social conduct and love, and has been translated into several languages over the years.
The ‘Modi Story’ post also highlighted Modi’s earlier efforts to promote Indian literature globally. It cited former Sahitya Akademi Secretary K. Sreenivasan, who recalled an initiative launched around the 2019 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit to translate 10 modern Indian literary works into Russian, Chinese and English.
According to Sreenivasan, the initiative was aimed at ensuring that Indian literature could reach readers beyond the country and gain greater international visibility.
“He has created space for Indian culture, Indian literature, Indian languages, where though we're creating excellent literary works, we're not able to showcase it before the world,” Sreenivasan said in a video accompanying the social media post.
He recalled that in 2020, discussions were held with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, following which 10 books were selected for translation into the three languages.
The books were subsequently released during the 2020-21 period, when the SCO summit process was under India’s chairmanship. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summit was held virtually.
Sreenivasan said the initiative demonstrated Modi’s interest in promoting Indian literature and languages at international forums.
“I want to say this to tell how he is concerned about Indian literature, Indian languages even in the international platform,” he said.
The social media initiative also recalled that during Putin’s India visit in December 2025, Modi had gifted the Russian President a Russian edition of the Bhagavad Gita.
The latest presentation of the Thirukkural therefore adds another dimension to India’s cultural diplomacy, using literature and classical wisdom to deepen people-to-people and civilisational connections.
“PM Modi’s cultural diplomacy is a masterclass in putting Indian heritage front and centre on the world stage!” the ‘Modi Story’ post said.
