Putin Stays at Hyderabad House – The Grand Palace Behind India’s Diplomacy

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stay at Delhi’s ‘Hyderabad House’ during his India visit has once again brought this iconic building into the spotlight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi frequently hosts foreign dignitaries and conducts high-level diplomatic meetings here. Yet, before it became a government property, this structure was a magnificent palace built by the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, once considered one of the richest men in the world.

When the British shifted their capital to Delhi, the Nizam wanted an exclusive guest house for his visits—one that would rival the grandeur of the Viceroy’s House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan). He commissioned renowned architect Edwin Lutyens to design the building in an Indo-European style, giving it a unique butterfly-shaped layout. The palace contains 36 rooms, spacious courtyards and decorative fountains. In the 1920s, the Nizam spent 200,000 pounds on its construction—equivalent to nearly ₹170 crore today.

After India’s independence and the merging of princely states, Hyderabad House came under the control of the central government. In 1974, the Ministry of External Affairs took over the building, transforming it into a prestigious diplomatic venue. Located at 1, Ashoka Road, it has hosted prominent world leaders like Bill Clinton, George Bush and now Vladimir Putin. What was once a symbol of the Nizam’s luxury has today become a key stage for India’s global diplomacy.