India Welcomes Putin for Strategic Talks on Defence and Trade

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in New Delhi for high-level bilateral talks focusing on defence, trade, and economic cooperation. This marks Putin’s first visit to India since the Ukraine conflict began.

The Russian leader received a red-carpet welcome, including an honour guard and 21-gun salute, before engaging in summit talks with Modi at Hyderabad House.

The agenda includes defence sales and co-production ventures, energy purchases, technology collaborations, and space exploration initiatives.

The meeting comes amid US pressure on India to reduce purchases of Russian oil, with Washington arguing that revenue from these imports supports Moscow’s military efforts in Ukraine.

Despite this, Modi and Putin reaffirmed the strength of India-Russia ties, describing the relationship as “time-tested” and mutually beneficial.

Putin shared updates on the situation in Ukraine and ongoing diplomatic efforts, while Modi emphasized India’s commitment to peace.

Experts note that the summit reflects India’s careful diplomatic balancing act maintaining strategic energy imports from Russia while navigating US trade pressures.

Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached $68.7 billion in 2024-25, nearly six times higher than pre-pandemic levels, though Indian exports accounted for just $4.88 billion.

Defence cooperation remains a key focus, with discussions covering advanced systems such as fighter jets, air defence, and nuclear submarines.