Putin's India Visit: Strengthening the 25-Year India-Russia Strategic Partnership Amid Global Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has left Russia for a two-day State visit to India, according to TASS news agency.

The Russian delegation plans to engage in comprehensive discussions focusing on trade, economic collaboration, scientific and technological cooperation, and cultural exchanges. Current international and regional issues will also be addressed during the meetings.

According to TASS, the visit is expected to yield ten intergovernmental documents and more than 15 agreements and memorandums between commercial and non-commercial entities from both nations.

Putin is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi this evening for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. This marks his first visit to India since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022, with his previous visit occurring in December 2021. The two-day visit comes at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Upon Putin's arrival in New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi will host a private dinner for the Russian President.

On December 5, Putin will receive a ceremonial welcome with a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhawan, followed by a visit to Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

The leaders will conduct talks in both restricted format and with their delegations at Hyderabad House. Several agreements are expected to focus on cooperation in trade, economy, agriculture, and academia.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Putin's visit will provide an opportunity for the leadership of both countries to review bilateral relations progress, outline the vision for strengthening their 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,' and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Prior to Putin's arrival, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov described the visit as a "return to the tradition of annual high-level summits" and a major step toward deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dimitry Peskov indicated that the sale of additional S-400 long-range anti-aircraft missiles could be discussed during the visit. "Russian arms represent 36% in Indian armed forces and hopefully will continue," Peskov noted.

Russia also hopes to discuss India's potential acquisition of the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter, which Peskov described as "the best plane in the world."

Regarding defense industry cooperation, Peskov highlighted the successful Brahmos missiles project, emphasizing that collaboration extends beyond buying and selling to include "exchange of high technologies" that "paves the way for a bright future in this field of cooperation."

Peskov also mentioned the possibility of a nuclear energy agreement between India and Russia during the President's visit.

The two leaders last met in person on September 1 this year in Tianjin, China, during the SCO Summit.

Putin's visit marks the 25th anniversary of the India-Russia strategic partnership, established in October 2000. During Putin's 2010 visit to India, this relationship was elevated to a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."

Both countries have prioritized enhancing trade and economic relations, with a target of increasing bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030. Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached a record high of $68.7 billion in 2024-25.

Putin is being accompanied by a Russian delegation including Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and other ministers, along with representatives from the Federal Customs Service, Rosfinmonitoring, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, and the CEOs of Roscosmos, Rosatom, and VEB.RF.

The Russian business community will be represented by leaders from Rosneft, Sberbank, Basic Element, Rusal, VTB Bank, the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers, Roskhim, Transmashholding, and others.