Putin hails India’s cultural depth, says unity in diversity key: ‘Not all speak Hindi’

Putin hails India’s cultural depth, says unity in diversity key: ‘Not all speak Hindi’

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday reflected on his recent India visit, praising the country’s “unity in diversity” and its cultural richness while noting its linguistic complexity.

He highlighted India’s scale and diversity, saying, “Around 1.5 billion people live there and not all speak Hindi, maybe 500–600 million, and the rest of them speak different languages. Often time, they don’t understand one another. So, this unity and diversity or rather unity in diversity, is something that we must preserve.”

❗️ President Putin: For Massive Countries Like Russia & India, it is Important to Maintain Unity in Diversity pic.twitter.com/151n5Lh1JI

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) December 9, 2025

Putin said he was struck again by India’s vast linguistic landscape, remarking that “only a third speak Hindi, maybe 500 to 600 million. The rest speak different languages, and many of them do not even understand one another.” For countries as expansive as India and Russia, he stressed, safeguarding unity amid diversity is “critically important.”

His comments came soon after his high-profile visit to New Delhi, where he held extensive discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral and strategic issues.