Russian President Putin visits India for talks on defence deals and trade, as New Delhi balances ties with Moscow against US pressure over oil imports
NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India on Thursday for a two-day visit focused on defence and trade.
The trip, his first to India since the start of the Ukraine war, aims to deepen bilateral ties as New Delhi navigates pressure from Washington.
Putin is accompanied by a delegation including Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, with media reports suggesting a potential fighter jet deal.
He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a private dinner on Thursday, followed by a summit and business gathering on Friday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the supply of Russia’s S-400 air defence systems held an “important place on the agenda”.
India currently operates three S-400 units, with delivery of two more pending under a 2018 deal stalled by the Ukraine conflict.
Media reports also indicated Moscow may offer co-production of its Su-57 fighter jets.
Russia has historically been a major arms supplier to India, one of the world’s top defence importers.
Its share of Indian arms imports, however, fell from 76% in 2009-13 to 36% in 2019-23, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The visit follows US President Donald Trump imposing 50% tariffs on most Indian goods in August.
Washington levied the tariffs as punishment for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, which it claims helps finance the war in Ukraine.
India has become a major buyer of Russian oil, saving billions and providing Moscow a crucial export market.
Delhi has recently reduced crude imports under pressure from sanctions on Russian oil producers Rosneft and Lukoil.
The Indian government fears new energy or defence deals could anger Trump and impact ongoing trade talks with Washington.
Peskov stated Russia was not concerned about US tariffs, focusing instead on growing bilateral trade with India.
Nandan Unnikrishnan of the Observer Research Foundation said energy purchases may reduce under US pressure, but strategic ties would endure.
He noted Moscow remains a critical source of spare parts for India’s legacy military hardware.
A senior Indian foreign ministry official said the trade imbalance needed addressing “one way or the other”.
Bilateral trade reached RM323.4 billion in 2024-25, nearly six times pre-pandemic levels, but Indian exports accounted for only RM23 billion.
Delhi has pressed Moscow for greater market access for its pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and service sectors.
Unnikrishnan said the summit allows leaders to discuss the “global situation, as well as what is happening in Ukraine”.
Professor Harsh V Pant said the visit is an attempt to reset relations at a “critical geopolitical moment for both”.
“For India, the optics is a statement of intent for strategic autonomy,” Pant told AFP.
The Indian official described Russia-India ties as the “most stable relationship in modern times”.
While acknowledging global significance, the official insisted the meeting should “be seen in its bilateral context”. – AFP
