The greetings couldn't have been warmer, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapping Vladimir Putin in a hug as soon as the Russian president stepped onto the tarmac in New Delhi Thursday evening for his first visit to India in four years.

Both leaders jumped into the same vehicle for a heart-to-heart as they headed to an informal dinner ahead of official talks Friday at a politically tense time for India, amid strained ties between New Delhi and Washington over tariffs.

The rare airport welcome from Modi was seen by observers as a way to underline the close ties between the two leaders and to highlight the unique and longstanding India-Russia relationship dating back to the Cold War.

Talks on Friday led to a string of agreements for deeper co-operation on trade, defence and energ

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