Russian President Vladimir Putin will undertake a state visit to New Delhi from December 4–5 for the annual India–Russia Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday. This marks Putin’s first trip to India since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with President Putin, following Modi’s visit to Russia last year for the previous summit. Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also met Putin in Moscow in preparation for the upcoming engagement.
The visit provides both countries an important opportunity to review the full range of bilateral relations, especially amid continuing US pressure on India to scale down energy and defence purchases from Russia. According to officials familiar with the matter, several major agreements are expected to be finalized during the summit on December 5. Putin last visited India in 2021.
In its statement, the MEA said the leaders will “review progress in bilateral relations, set the vision for strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, and exchange views on regional and global issues.”
President Droupadi Murmu will also meet Putin and host a banquet in his honour. The visit is likely to span just over 24 hours, in keeping with the Russian president’s recent travel patterns.
With shifting geopolitical dynamics, the summit is expected to focus on enhancing strategic and economic cooperation. Officials noted that both sides will explore ways to boost trade, address market access concerns, and reduce trade imbalance. Bilateral trade reached a record $68.7 billion in 2024–25, driven primarily by India’s purchase of discounted Russian crude. Indian exports to Russia totaled $4.88 billion.
Defense cooperation will be a key agenda item. India is reportedly considering a follow-on order for additional S-400 air defence systems, after the platform’s strong performance in recent regional security incidents. India previously signed a $5.43-billion contract in 2018 for five S-400 units, of which three have already been delivered.
Russia has also increased energy discounts in recent weeks as India begins to moderate its purchases of Russian oil. Discussions are expected to include new initiatives in civil nuclear cooperation.
Putin is also likely to launch a new India-focused channel of Russian state broadcaster RT during his visit.
Modi and Putin have maintained regular communication, including talks on the Ukraine conflict. The leaders last met in September on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in China, where they reaffirmed commitment to the bilateral strategic partnership, which turns 25 years old on October 3.
Their upcoming meeting follows heightened global scrutiny after the United States introduced a 25% tariff penalty on Indian exports, citing India’s continuing oil trade with Russia. During recent discussions, Modi highlighted that India and Russia have “always stood shoulder-to-shoulder, even in the most challenging situations.”
