Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin travelled together in Putin’s armoured Aurus Senat after bilateral talks at Bharat Mandapam on Friday, creating a high‑profile moment during the BRICS summit.
- AURUS’s public specs for the Senat list a 4.4‑litre twin‑turbo V8 hybrid with about 598 hp and 880 Nm, a nine‑speed automatic gearbox and all‑wheel drive, while the heavier presidential variant shows reduced acceleration and a lower top speed.
- Reporting describes the presidential Senat as equipped with multi‑layer ballistic glazing, run‑flat tyres, reinforced underbody blast protection, an independent air filtration and oxygen system, and secure communications, but exact armour composition remains classified.
- The shared ride is the latest example of 'cardiplomacy' between the two leaders and follows earlier occasions when Modi travelled in Putin’s state car, underscoring personal rapport and practical security control by the Russian detail.
- The Senat was developed under Russia’s Kortezh programme and a limited civilian model sells for roughly 18 million roubles, while the customised presidential L700 is not commercially available and its cost and many technical details are undisclosed; China’s Hongqi N701 is the most‑mentioned comparable state car at the summit.