India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, says he has had an "insightful" exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a summit in China, BBC reported.

The two leaders spent 45 minutes inside the Russian leader's car - after which Modi posted a picture of their journey alongside the compliment to Putin. 

"They were at home... They felt comfortable there, and that's why they continued the conversation," Putin's spokesman said.

The meeting came after scenes of hand-holding between the pair as they were hosted by China's Xi Xinping for the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit, which is being seen as a challenge to US President Donald Trump and US dominance on a global level, according to BBC.