Key Highlights
- There was the red carpet welcome, Prime Minister Narendra Modi breaking protocol to greet him on the tarmac, a firm handshake, followed by a warm hug.
- The two leaders also travelled in the same car to the Prime Minister's residence for a private dinner.
- However, what caught the attention was PM Modi choosing a white Toyota Fortuner for the drive rather than his usual Range Rover. advertisementWas it a deliberate move to choose a Toyota Fortuner or just unintentional?
- While there has been no official reason, experts have floated several theories on why a Japanese-branded vehicle might have been chosen for the car diplomacy that the whole world had its eyes on.
- Moreover, the Fortuner Sigma 4 (MT) had a Maharashtra number plate. Toyota FortunerFortuner Swag Jaiky Yadav (@JaikyYadav16) December 4, 2025 Interestingly, even Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chose a white Fortuner when he went with his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov to lay a wreath at the National War Memorial. THEORIES BEHIND FORTUNER MOVEExperts and geopolitical commentators theorised that the Fortuner, manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, was deliberately chosen rather than any European brand to send a message to the West at a time when both India and Russia have come under pressure over the Ukraine war.
