During the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin to New Delhi on December 4, 2025, the usual diplomatic protocol gave way to an unexpected display, he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rode together in a white Toyota Fortuner, rather than their respective armoured limousines.
The vehicle, a Fortuner Sigma 4 MT registered as MH01 EN 5795, is part of a fleet used for VIP movement by Indian security agencies.
Observers noted how this departure from the usual protocol, with no use of the Russian President’s heavily armoured Aurus Senat, projected a message of personal rapport and mutual trust between the two leaders.
The shared ride wasn’t just symbolic, it also underlined the evolving tone of the visit: less rigid formalities, more personal diplomacy. Security was visibly stringent with traffic restrictions and sanitised routes, but the Fortuner’s ordinary registration underscored a deliberate choice to keep optics grounded.
In the broader context of their two-day summit, involving defence, trade and geopolitical deliberations, this simple ride may have spoken more than many statements, a subtle but powerful gesture of friendship, trust and strategic camaraderie.
