Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on the evening of December 4 for a two-day State Visit to attend the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. This is his first visit since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022; his previous trip was in December 2021. The visit is at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hosted a private dinner for Putin shortly after his arrival.
On December 5, Putin received a ceremonial welcome and a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan, then proceeded to Raj Ghat to pay homage at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial. He and Prime Minister Modi held talks in a restricted format with their delegations at Hyderabad House. Joint press statements were planned after the discussions.
Agreements under preparation focus on cooperation in trade, the economy, agriculture and academia. The Kremlin said the Russian delegation would hold comprehensive talks with Indian counterparts on political, trade and economic, scientific and technological, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation, and on current international and regional issues. Russian state media reported that 10 intergovernmental documents and more than 15 agreements and memorandums between commercial and non-commercial entities were being prepared for signing.
The leaders also participated in a business event jointly organised by FICCI and Roscongress at Bharat Mandapam. Putin was scheduled to formally launch the Indian channel of Russian state broadcaster RT at an event at ITC Maurya Hotel on Friday evening. He was to attend a State dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan before departing.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the visit provides an opportunity to review bilateral relations, outline the vision for strengthening the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” and exchange views on regional and global issues.
Ahead of the visit, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Co-chair of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission Denis Manturov called it a “return to the tradition of annual high-level summits” and a major step to deepen the strategic partnership. Manturov said discussions would focus on deepening industrial cooperation, advancing joint investment projects and expanding collaboration in high-technology domains, with the forum intended to enable direct engagement between businesses from both countries.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the sale of additional S-400 long-range air-defence systems could be discussed and that Russia hoped to discuss the possibility of India acquiring the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter. Peskov highlighted defence cooperation including BrahMos missiles and the exchange of high technologies, and noted a possible agreement on nuclear energy.
The leaders last met in person on September 1 at the SCO Summit in Tianjin. Putin’s visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership, established in October 2000 and elevated to a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” in December 2010. Intensifying trade and economic relations is a priority, with a target of raising bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030; bilateral trade reached a record $68.7 billion in 2024–25.
On December 2, Russia’s Duma ratified an intergovernmental agreement on procedures for dispatching military personnel, ships and aircraft to each other’s territory. The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) agreement, signed in Moscow on February 18, 2025, will streamline dispatch and logistics for joint exercises, training, humanitarian aid, disaster relief and other agreed cases.
Putin was accompanied by a Russian delegation including Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and other ministers; representatives of the Federal Customs Service, Rosfinmonitoring, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation director Dmitry Shugayev; and CEOs of Roscosmos, Rosatom, and VEB.RF. Business participants included heads of Rosneft, Sberbank, Basic Element, Rusal, VTB Bank, the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers, Roskhim, and Transmashholding.
