Russian President Vladimir Putin was accorded a tri-services guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning as he began the second day of his two-day state visit to India. President Droupadi Murmu presided over the ceremony, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.
Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, where he was received personally by Prime Minister Modi with a warm hug and a firm handshake, underscoring the close rapport between the two leaders. On Friday morning, the Russian President visited Raj Ghat to pay his respects at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi before heading to Hyderabad House for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. The discussions centred on defence cooperation, energy ties and expanding the mobility of skilled labour.
Packed day of meetings and ceremonies
Following the summit-level talks, the leaders were scheduled to issue a joint press statement outlining agreements and shared priorities. Putin will also meet business leaders from both countries later in the day, and is set to attend a state banquet hosted by President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Prime Minister Modi also presented a Russian edition of the Bhagavad Gita to Putin, calling it a text that “gives inspiration to millions across the world”.
The Russian delegation includes Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, senior officials, and top executives from Russian defence and energy sectors, including representatives from Rosoboronexport, Rosneft and Gazprom Neft.
Significance of the visit
The timing of Putin’s visit holds symbolic and strategic importance as it coincides with 25 years of the India-Russia strategic partnership. Annual summits, which began in 2000 during Putin’s first year in office, were interrupted in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The cancellation of Modi’s scheduled visit to Moscow and Putin’s absence from the 2023 G20 Summit in Delhi due to an International Criminal Court warrant marked a temporary slowdown in high-level engagements.
The tradition resumed in 2024 with Modi’s visit to Russia, and Putin returning this year reflects renewed diplomatic momentum. The Kremlin has described the visit as “of great importance”, referring to India as a “particularly privileged strategic partner”.
Trade and geopolitical backdrop
Putin arrives in India at a time when New Delhi is negotiating a trade deal with the United States to ease the steep tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The punitive duties—raised to 50 per cent—were introduced in response to India’s increased purchases of discounted Russian crude oil.
Despite Western sanctions, Russia remains India’s largest defence supplier and is looking to expand imports of Indian goods as both nations work toward their goal of boosting bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030. India, on its part, has ramped up purchases of Russian crude since Europe reduced its dependence on Moscow following the Ukraine conflict.
Key agenda for Modi-Putin talks
Several agreements are expected across sectors including shipping, healthcare, fertilisers, connectivity and labour mobility. Defence cooperation remains central to the relationship, with India seeking faster delivery of the remaining two S-400 air defence systems under the USD 5.4 billion deal signed in 2018. The delay has been attributed to supply chain disruptions caused by the Ukraine war.
Indian officials are also weighing the possibility of acquiring additional S-400 units or upgraded variants in the future. The S-400 system is believed to have played an important role during a brief military standoff with Pakistan last year.
Talks will also cover upgrades to the Su-30MKI fighter fleet, enhanced joint exercises, and quicker deliveries of spare parts and critical platforms. While Russia is keen to offer its Su-57 stealth fighter jet to India, New Delhi continues to evaluate options from multiple global suppliers.
Energy, diplomacy and global pressures
Energy cooperation is expected to feature prominently, especially as Indian refiners continue to capitalise on discounted Russian crude. Washington remains critical of India’s oil purchases, claiming they indirectly aid Moscow’s war effort, though New Delhi maintains that such imports are vital for its growing energy demands.
The two leaders are expected to discuss India’s broader diplomatic balancing act as it engages both Washington and Moscow amid shifting geopolitical alignments.