India fastest growing economy, deserves to be superpower: Vladimir Putin

India deserves to be included in the list of global superpowers as its economy is currently growing faster than in any other country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. Addressing the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, Putin also said Russia was developing relations with India in all directions and there was a great degree of trust in bilateral ties between the two.

“India should undoubtedly be added to the list of superpowers, with its billion-and-a-half population, the fastest growth among all economies in the world, ancient culture and very good prospects for further growth,” he said.

Calling India a great country, the Russian President said: “We are developing relations with India in all directions. India is a great country, now the largest in terms of population: 1.5 billion people, plus 10 million every year.” He said India was leading the world in economic growth.

“Our vision of where and at what pace our relations will develop is based on today’s realities. The volume of our cooperation is increasing many times over, every year,” Putin was quoted by Russian news agency Tass as saying. He added that the contacts between India and Russia in the security and defence sphere were developing.