Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened summit talks in New Delhi on Friday, marking Putin’s first visit to India in four years and signalling a renewed push to expand strategic and economic cooperation. Modi welcomed the Russian leader with a ceremonial reception and emphasized India’s support for peace initiatives in Ukraine as the two leaders sat down for discussions.
The visit comes at a sensitive moment for India, which is also engaged in talks with the United States to roll back punitive tariffs imposed over its purchases of discounted Russian oil. Despite Western sanctions and geopolitical pressure, Russia remains India’s largest arms supplier and a major energy partner, though Indian imports of Russian crude have dipped this year under U.S. scrutiny.
Modi underscored India’s stance on Ukraine, saying the country “is not neutral” but “for peace” and supports all efforts toward ending the conflict. Putin thanked Modi for his engagement, saying the two had discussed developments on the “Ukrainian track” and steps being taken with international partners, including the United States, toward a possible settlement.
Beyond geopolitics, the leaders highlighted emerging opportunities in high technology, space, aviation and artificial intelligence. Putin noted that bilateral cooperation was expanding alongside the growth of both economies, bolstered by longstanding military-technical ties.
Putin arrived in India on Thursday to an embrace from Modi at the Delhi airport, followed by a private dinner. On Friday morning, he was received with a 21-gun salute at Rashtrapati Bhavan before formal talks. Both sides are expected to announce a raft of agreements, including a proposed partnership between Indian firms and Russia’s Uralchem group to establish a urea plant, as well as potential entry of Russian lenders Gazprombank and Alfa Bank into the Indian market to support rising trade flows.
Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, part of the large Russian delegation, met his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh and reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to support India’s ambitions for self-reliance in defence production. Modi and Putin are also expected to address civil nuclear cooperation, labour mobility and broader economic engagement.
In an interview aired late Thursday, Putin challenged U.S. pressure on India over Russian oil, pointing to continued American purchases of Russian nuclear fuel. He argued that if Washington could buy Russian energy, India should have the same freedom. India has described U.S. tariffs on its goods as unjustified, noting that Western nations continue importing billions of dollars’ worth of Russian commodities.
Putin’s arrival followed his talks with senior U.S. envoys on a possible Ukraine peace deal, which ended without a breakthrough. India maintains that its longstanding ties with Moscow are being unfairly scrutinized, particularly by countries that continue trading with Russia when convenient. Analysts note that New Delhi is walking a delicate line. As one expert wrote this week, India risks straining relations with either Washington or Moscow depending on how it balances its strategic choices.
