Russian President Putin-PM Modi Summit signals reset in global power equations

Putin, on his first India visit in four years and the first since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022, was welcomed by President Droupadi Murmu and Modi at the forecourt of the presidential palace. Earlier, the two leaders held a private dinner at the prime minister’s residence after Modi personally received Putin with a warm embrace at Palam airport.

• Ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan sets tone for high-stakes dialogue
• Defence, trade balance, energy and worker-mobility agreements on the table
• India asserts ‘side of peace’ stance on Ukraine amid geopolitical churn
• First Putin visit in four years comes as India-US ties face new turbulence

Following the ceremonial welcome, Putin visited Raj Ghat to pay homage at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial.

Summit to reshape defence and economic engagement

The 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit is expected to deliver major outcomes across defence manufacturing, nuclear energy collaboration—especially small modular reactors—and mechanisms to protect bilateral trade from external geopolitical pressure.

The two sides are also poised to sign agreements enabling Indian workers to take up employment in Russia and another pact on expanding logistics cooperation under a broader defence framework.

Officials indicated that India’s exports to Russia are expected to rise sharply across pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food products and consumer goods—sectors central to narrowing India’s widening trade deficit. India currently imports around USD 65 billion worth of goods and services from Russia annually, while Russia’s imports from India stand at around USD 5 billion.

Cooperation in the fertiliser sector is also set for discussion, as Russia currently supplies three to four million tonnes of fertilisers to India every year. Talks are additionally expected on India’s proposed free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

India: ‘Not neutral, we stand on the side of peace’

In televised opening remarks, Modi spoke plainly about India’s position on the Ukraine conflict, marking one of his strongest statements yet.

“We all should find the path of peace. I have always said India is not neutral; India has a side and that side is peace. We support all peace efforts and we are standing shoulder-to-shoulder in all peace efforts,” Modi said.

He noted that Putin has regularly briefed India on developments since the start of the conflict, adding that trust remains a defining strength of the partnership.

Putin, in response, said Russia is working towards a peaceful resolution.

Visit comes amid shifting global alignments

Putin’s New Delhi trip is seen as particularly significant as it coincides with a rapid cooling of India-US relations, injecting fresh geopolitical weight into the India-Russia engagement.

Officials from both countries said the personal rapport displayed during the airport welcome and private dinner helped set a constructive tone for the summit, reinforcing a partnership that has remained resilient for nearly eight decades.