New Delhi: Russian president Vladimir Putin will be visiting India on December 4-5, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed. He will be in India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.
During the visit, Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Droupadi Murmu will also receive the Russian president and host a banquet in his honour, the MEA statement said.
“The forthcoming State Visit will provide an opportunity for the leadership of India and Russia to review progress in bilateral relations, set the vision for strengthening the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” it has been stated.
This visit, Putin’s first to India since the start of the Ukraine war, is being considered as very crucial on the backdrop of US president Donald Trump’s imposition of additional tariffs on India in a bid to pressurise New Delhi to reduce purchases of Russian crude and military hardware.
According to those in the know, several big-ticket deals and understandings are expected to be unveiled during the summit on December 5. Putin had last attended the summit in India in 2021.
Modi and Putin had last met during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin China in late August this year. The two leaders had then shared a ride in Putin’s limousine before a more formal meeting.
A lot has changed since then and boosting of trade between the two countries will be among the issues that will be discussed between India and Russia. The two sides are already engaged in discussions on deepening defence cooperation. India is likely eyeing more S-400 air defence systems following their effectiveness during Operation Sindoor. India had finalised a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia in 2018 for five S-400 batteries. Three have been delivered so far. India is also likely to seek more missiles for the S-400 systems already in place, not only to replace those used during the conflict against Pakistan, but to have stocks handy.
Besides his official engagements in New Delhi, Putin is expected to launch the new India channel of Russian state-run broadcaster RT.
The two sides may also unveil new measures for civil-nuclear cooperation. Other issues, such as greater access to Russia’s markets and addressing the growing imbalance in trade, are expected to figure in the discussions. While trade between the two countries reached a record high of USD 68.7 billion in 2024-25, riding on the back of India’s purchases of discounted Russian crude, Indian exports were only worth USD 4.88 billion.
With exports of certain items to the US becoming unviable after the Trump tariffs, Indian exporters are looking for new markets. Russia had assured India of purchases after sanctions by the US.
