Industrial Exhibitions take centre stage as Modi and Putin walk the INNOPROM floor together
When two heads of state choose to spend part of a high-stakes bilateral visit walking an exhibition floor, it tells you something about where trade diplomacy is headed. That's exactly what played out on 11 September, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin toured INNOPROM India 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, right after wrapping up their formal talks.
INNOPROM is Russia’s flagship International Industrial Exhibition, and 2026 marked its first-ever edition held in India, running from 9-11 September at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The exhibition drew businesses, technology firms, investors and industry representatives together, with sectors on display ranging from advanced manufacturing, aviation and space to artificial intelligence, energy, heavy engineering, mining, steel and financial technologies. For an exhibition making its first appearance in the country, having it double as a stop on a presidential itinerary is no small validation.
Behind the visit sat a bigger economic conversation. During their talks, Modi and Putin had discussed pushing bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030, with reports suggesting INNOPROM’s India debut was itself part of that discussion seen as a step toward deeper cooperation in rail and tunnelling, growth of the steel value chain, expanded B2B linkages, and easier access to the Russian market.
For India’s own exhibition industry, the moment is worth noting. It’s a reminder that trade fairs and industrial exhibitions are no longer just spaces where businesses meet businesses, they’re increasingly becoming settings where governments choose to signal intent, test partnerships, and put trade ambitions on public display.
