Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday for their first in-person summit in four years. The talks focused on enhancing defence ties, shielding bilateral trade from external pressures, and exploring collaboration in small modular nuclear reactors. Both leaders also discussed labour issues and civil nuclear energy, with expectations of announcing new agreements to reinforce their partnership.
As per a report in Hindustan Times.
Following the summit, India and Russia planned to finalise several trade-related accords. The leaders participated in a business event organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Roscongress at Bharat Mandapam. In the evening, Putin attended a state banquet hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu before his scheduled departure around 9 pm.
The visit marked Putin’s first to India since December 2021 and the onset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Modi and Putin have maintained frequent communication in 2025, including five phone calls and a meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China, in September. Their longstanding relationship dates back to the Soviet era.
The summit was closely observed by Western nations urging India to reduce its purchases of Russian energy and military equipment amid the Ukraine war. Putin commended Modi for resisting external pressure, including US tariffs on India’s oil trade with Russia. He highlighted that over 90% of their bilateral transactions now occur in their own currencies, minimizing reliance on the US dollar.
The meeting underscored India’s intent to assert strategic autonomy by deepening defence and economic ties with Russia despite global geopolitical tensions.
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