India, Sept. 11 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday raised the safety of Indian seafarers in the Black Sea with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reiterating India's readiness to support any peace initiative to end the Ukraine conflict as both leaders agreed to ramp up bilateral trade ties amid growing geopolitical upheaval.

The meeting took place hours after Putin landed in New Delhi on a three-day visit to participate in the high-stakes BRICS summit.

Following the talks, the two leaders travelled in the same car inside the Bharat Mandapam complex to reach the venue of a business forum.

In signalling their strong resolve to maintain deeper engagement in diverse sectors, the two leaders agreed to remain engaged in an effort to fu...