Overview
- The exchange occurred during Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to New Delhi, with the items presented ahead of a state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- The set comprised Assam black tea, a Murshidabad silver tea set, a handcrafted silver horse from Maharashtra, an Agra marble chess set, Kashmiri saffron, and a Russian translation of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
- Assam black tea was noted as a Geographical Indication product since 2007, grown in the Brahmaputra plains and processed using the traditional assamica variety.
- The Murshidabad tea set and the silver horse highlighted West Bengal silversmithing and Indian metalwork traditions with symbolism of shared tea culture and a forward-moving partnership.
- The Agra chess set reflected ODOP stone inlay craftsmanship, while GI- and ODOP-recognized Kashmiri saffron and the Russian-language Gita signaled cultural and philosophical outreach.