Bangalore: Russian President Vladimir Putin today (Dec 5, 2004) visited software major Infosys and spoke of the need for India and Russia to work together on innovative new technologies.

During an hour long-visit when he was accompanied by a business delegation and the Russian media, Putin met the senior management of the company and addressed the employees.

Putin was taken on a tour of the campus at Electronics City on Bangalore outskirts, with his visit kept out of bounds for local reporters, and provided an overview on the IT industry and the company by Infosys managing director and chief executive officer Nandan M Nilekani.

In his address to the Infoscions, he emphasised the need for India and Russia to work together on innovative new technologies, an Infosys statement released at the end of Putin's visit said.

Welcoming Putin, Infosys chairman and chief mentor NR Narayana Murthy said his visit was an affirmation of the special relationship between the two countries.

Observing that the two countries had already successfully leveraged each other's strengths across various industry sectors, he said there were avenues that remained unexplored.

"As our bilateral relations expand in scope and depth, surely, Information Technology will be one of the areas in which both countries can collaborate for talent and knowledge," he said.

After a round-table meet in Bangalore yesterday, Russia and India had agreed to set up a working group to draw up an inter-Governmental agreement on IT. In a business meet, Putin had pitched for stepping up Indo-Russian cooperation in IT.