Putin Begins First India Visit in 4 Years; Focus on Strategic, Economic Ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin will kick off his first visit to India in four years with a private dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The dinner is expected to set the stage for discussions on strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries, with a particular focus on economic cooperation and global and regional issues.

During the visit, PM Modi is expected to reiterate India’s call for an early end to the Russia-Ukraine war, emphasising the need for dialogue and diplomacy. Last year, Putin hosted Modi for a private dinner during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Russia for the annual India-Russia summit.

Putin’s main engagements are scheduled for Friday, beginning with a visit to Rajghat, followed by a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The leaders will then hold bilateral talks at Hyderabad House during the main summit.

After a working lunch with Modi, Putin will participate in the India-Russia Business Forum, highlighting opportunities for trade and investment. The day will conclude with a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in honour of the Russian President

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Yury Ushakov, stated that a joint statement is expected to be adopted during the visit, with bilateral agreements to be signed across a wide range of sectors. Key among them is the Program for the Development of Strategic Areas of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030, aimed at deepening economic ties between the two nations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Yury Ushakov, said that Putin’s visit to India provides an opportunity to discuss the extensive agenda of Russian-Indian relations comprehensively.

Ushakov noted that apart from the main bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the visit will include participation in the Russia-India Business Forum and the launch ceremony of the RT TV channel in India.

“Key aspects of trade and economic cooperation will also be discussed,” Ushakov said, highlighting that bilateral trade in 2024 grew by 12% to reach $63.6 billion. He added that both nations are working on several large-scale projects spanning industrial cooperation, innovative technologies, transport, peaceful space exploration, mining, healthcare, and labour migration programmes.

Ushakov also emphasized that cooperation is being strengthened across politics and security, economy and finance, transport and logistics, science and technology, education, and culture.

The aide noted that Modi last held a bilateral meeting with Putin at the SCO summit in Tianjin this year, and the two leaders spoke five times by phone in 2024. Putin is expected to depart India around 9:30 pm on Friday.

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