Putin’s India Visit Signals Stronger Strategic Cooperation

Putin and Modi’s Meeting

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a two-day visit to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, where he is meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a moment of heightened global scrutiny. You see this visit taking place against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical alignments, renewed pressure from Washington, and ongoing debates around India’s strategic autonomy. The Putin Modi Meeting has drawn international attention because it combines high-stakes Oil Diplomacy, Defence Cooperation and broader questions over how India positions itself between competing global powers.

Putin’s arrival in Delhi signals Moscow’s intent to reinforce its long-standing partnership with India despite ongoing Western efforts to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine. India and Russia have remained close allies for decades, and the Kremlin views this relationship as crucial at a time when Europe has largely severed economic and political ties with Moscow. For Putin, demonstrating that Western sanctions have not limited Russia’s global reach remains a central objective. The optics of the visit therefore hold as much weight as the agreements expected from the India-Russia Summit.

India’s importance to Moscow is tied to both scale and opportunity. With a population of nearly 1.5 billion and economic growth exceeding 8%, India offers a vast market for Russian exports, particularly crude oil. India was once a negligible buyer of Russian oil, accounting for only 2.5% of imports before the Ukraine conflict. Following sanctions on Moscow, discounted Russian barrels increased India’s purchases to 35%, transforming Russia into a major supplier. This expansion, however, drew criticism from Washington. Last October, the US imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, arguing that India’s purchases were indirectly strengthening Russia’s war efforts. Orders subsequently declined, and Putin now seeks assurances that India will remain a significant buyer despite international pressure.

The defence relationship continues to serve as the second major pillar of the partnership. You see this in long-running cooperation involving fighter jets, submarines, missile systems and other strategic platforms. Ahead of Putin’s visit, reports suggested India is considering upgraded air defence systems and the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet. For decades, Russia has been India’s main supplier, but the Trade Deficit India In recent years, Russia and India’s efforts to diversify have made them less dependent on each other. Still, some Indian Air Force squadrons depend on Russian platforms, and the S-400 Missile Deal Acceleration is still a top priority because of security concerns in the region, especially after reports that Pakistan has bought the J-35 stealth fighter. Modi is likely to want to know when the shipments will arrive because shortages caused by sanctions have pushed back deliveries until at least 2026.

The visit also has big effects on world politics. The Kremlin has stressed its ties with Asia and the Global South as alternatives to Europe, and partnerships with India and China show that efforts to isolate Russia have failed. Putin met with both Modi and Xi Jinping earlier this year on a tour of several countries. He sent a message that the world is still important, even though there is still conflict. India has also balanced its relationships with different groups, saying that its foreign policy is based on Strategic Autonomy instead of alignment. This has gotten harder since the US government changed. India and the US have been having problems with each other, and tariff-related disagreements have brought their relationship to one of its lowest points in years. Modi now has to deal with the conflicting demands of Washington and Europe while keeping a good relationship with Moscow.

This balancing act also includes trade. In March 2025, bilateral trade hit $68.72 billion, mostly because of cheap oil purchases. But the imbalance is very clear. Russian exports are the most important part of the relationship, while Indian goods don’t do very well in Russian markets. According to the Global Trade Research Initiative, Indian products such as smartphones, shrimp, meat and garments collectively remain marginal players in Russia’s retail ecosystem. Modi is expected to push for improved market access to correct the disparity and insulate India from excessive dependence on Russian energy and defence.

At the same time, Russia sees India as a potential supplier of skilled labour amid domestic shortages caused by the ongoing conflict. Discussions around workers, trade diversification and supply-chain cooperation are set to feature in the summit’s agenda. The meeting also takes place shortly after European envoys to India issued a rare joint statement criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine, adding to the diplomatic pressure Modi must navigate. India’s foreign policy needs to be able to go in many different directions without seeming to favor one partner too much.

New Delhi’s top priority right now is to strengthen its ties with Russia while keeping the door open to working with the US and Europe. The Modi government wants to make India an economic and geopolitical bridge that can work with rival power centers. Analysts say that India will try to become less dependent on oil and defense trade alone and will look for bigger deals that could change industries when the war is over and Russia is back in the global economy.

The main question that still needs to be answered as the summit goes on is what big defense deals are expected to come out of the meeting between Putin and Modi in Delhi? People who are watching expect progress on air defense systems, next-generation fighters, and long-term technology cooperation. The visit will only be a success if both countries can work together in new areas while still being able to adapt to a world that is becoming more divided.

Putin’s trip shows how important India-Russia relations are and how they will always be. It also shows how modern geopolitics are changing. The results of the summit will help both countries figure out how to deal with changing alliances, economic uncertainty, and the demands of a world order that is changing quickly.

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