- Putin begins a two-day India visit on Thursday, with defence and trade leading the agenda.
- Talks likely to cover S-400 deliveries and a possible Su-57 fighter jet co-production plan.
- The visit comes amid US pressure over Russian oil purchases and recent tariffs imposed by Trump.
- Bilateral trade has reached $68.7 billion, with India pushing to narrow the trade imbalance.
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin will begin a two-day visit to India on Thursday, with defence cooperation and trade expected to dominate his talks in New Delhi. The visit comes as India faces rising US pressure over its continued purchases of Russian oil.
Putin, travelling to India for the first time since the Ukraine war began, will be accompanied by a delegation that includes defence minister Andrei Belousov. Media reports have said that a possible fighter jet deal may be discussed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host Putin for a private dinner on Thursday before a summit meeting and a business session the following day.
Along with defence issues, bilateral trade is expected to be a key part of the talks as India balances strategic imports from Russia while trying to avoid friction with US president Donald Trump during ongoing tariff negotiations.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the supply of Russia's advanced S-400 air defence systems had an "important place on the agenda".
India currently operates three S-400 units. Two more are pending under a 2018 deal that has been delayed due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions.
Indian media reports have indicated that Moscow may also propose co-production of Russia's Su-57 fighter jets.
India remains one of the world's major arms importers. Russia has historically been a main supplier, though Delhi has increased its focus on domestic manufacturing in recent years. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia's share in India’s arms imports dropped from 76 per cent in 2009-13 to 36 per cent in 2019-23.
energy imports
Putin’s visit follows the 50 per cent tariffs imposed by Trump in August on most Indian products as a response to India’s purchase of Russian oil, which Washington says helps fund the war in Ukraine.
India, now the world’s most populous nation, has become a major buyer of Russian crude, saving billions of dollars and providing Russia with a key export market after losing European buyers due to the war.
India has recently reduced crude purchases because of sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil. Indian officials fear new energy or defence deals with Russia could affect trade discussions with the United States.
Peskov said Russia was not concerned by US tariffs.
"What concerns us is how we are going to maintain and increase the volume of our bilateral business with India without allowing anyone to interfere," he said Tuesday at a briefing for Indian media organised by Sputnik India.
Nandan Unnikrishnan of the Observer Research Foundation told AFP: "There may be some reduction in energy purchases -- under US pressure -- but the overall direction of the ties will be maintained because both countries need each other at the strategic level."
Even if India lowers its energy imports, Russia will continue to be an essential supplier of spare parts for much of India’s older military equipment.
‘critical moment’
A senior Indian foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was a need to address the trade imbalance "one way or the other".
Bilateral trade reached $68.7 billion in 2024-25, nearly six times the pre-pandemic level, but Indian exports stood at only $4.88 billion.
India has been urging Russia to expand market access for pharmaceuticals, automobiles and services.
Unnikrishnan said Putin’s visit — his last trip to India was in December 2021 — would allow both leaders to discuss the "global situation, as well as what is happening in Ukraine".
Harsh V Pant of King’s College London said the visit was an "attempt by the two sides to reset their relationship at a critical geopolitical moment for both".
"For India, the optics is a statement of intent for strategic autonomy, and Putin, who rarely travels, is sending a message about the importance of the relationship by travelling here," Pant told AFP.
The Indian foreign ministry official described India-Russia ties as the "most stable relationship in modern times".
The official acknowledged the broader geopolitical backdrop but said the meeting should "be seen in its bilateral context".
"This is just another annual summit between two countries with a steady relationship."
(With inputs from agencies)
