Vladimir Putin Meets PM Modi Amid Talks on Arms, Energy, and Bilateral Trade (Source: X)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in India on a state visit to strengthen the close personal rapport and reinforce bilateral relations between New Delhi and Moscow, as well as expand the economic cooperation between them. On arrival in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly received him with a hug and a firm handshake at the airport, reflecting a cordial rapport.
On the second day of his visit on Friday, Putin will go to Rashtrapati Bhavan for a guard of honour and then call on President Droupadi Murmu. He is also scheduled to go to Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, to pay respects, in keeping with protocol. Later, he will hold the 23rd India-Russia Summit with PM Modi at Hyderabad House to discuss deepening economic cooperation in areas like defence, energy, and skilled labour mobility. There could be a joint press statement highlighting various agreements reached and the shared agenda.
He will also hold a meeting with business leaders and join a banquet hosted by President Murmu in the evening before leaving. He is scheduled to be accompanied by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and other senior officials, including executives of Rosoboronexport, Rosneft, and Gazprom Neft.
The Kremlin described the visit as “of great importance, providing an opportunity to comprehensively discuss the extensive agenda of Russian-Indian relations as a particularly privileged strategic partnership.”
The timing of Putin's visit is symbolic because this year marks 25 years of India-Russia strategic partnership, initiated during Putin's first year in office. Conventionally, the annual summit is held alternately in Moscow and New Delhi, although the schedule was disrupted in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That year, the scheduled visit of PM Modi to Russia was postponed. In return, in 2023, Putin skipped the G20 summit in New Delhi because of an ICC warrant to avoid diplomatic friction with the Western members of G20.
In 2024, the summit resumed with PM Modi visiting Russia, and now Putin returns the visit to India.
The visit by Putin comes at a time when India is negotiating with the US over a trade deal to remove tariffs imposed on Indian goods due to its imports of Russian oil. Russia has been India's main arms supplier for decades and aims to hike trade to $100 billion by 2030, though the balance so far has favored Russia due to New Delhi's energy imports.
After European nations reduced dependence on Russian energy following the war in Ukraine, India increased its purchase of discounted Russian crude, a fact that has been criticized by the US.
While several agreements are likely on shipping, healthcare, fertilizers, connectivity, and labour mobility, all designed to promote bilateral trade and cooperation, defence remains a big attraction.
S-400 Missile Systems: India could negotiate the faster delivery of the remaining two systems of the 2018 contract worth US$5.4 billion. Deliberations may also involve acquiring more units or upgraded variants, although no official declaration is likely. The S-400 performed admirably during the May standoff with Pakistan.
Su-30MKI Jets: Discussions are expected on upgrading the country's Russian-made Su-30MKI fighter jets and expediting delivery of other critical military equipment.
Su-57 Stealth Fighters: Moscow is keen to sell the advanced Su-57 jets, but India continues to explore options from other suppliers.
Joint Exercises and Disaster Relief: Another likely feature is an improvement in coordination on military exercises and humanitarian missions.
The visit comes at a time when the US has expressed concern over India's imports of Russian oil at discounted rates, which Washington believes are used to fund Russia's war effort. In August, US President Donald Trump slapped an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, taking total duties to 50 percent. India, however, defends its imports as essential to meet energy needs for its 1.4 billion population. These trade and tariff issues are expected to be part of the discussions between the two leaders. This visit not only marks decades-long relations between India and Russia but also aims at deepening economic, defense, and energy cooperation amidst complex international pressures, especially from the US.
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