Russia President Vladimir Putin to visit India next week amid deepening defence and economic ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India next week, marking his first trip to the country since 2021 and underscoring the enduring "special and privileged strategic partnership" between the two nations amid global tensions. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday (November 28) that Russian President Putin, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will arrive on 4 December for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, extending through 5 December. "President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin will pay a State visit to India from 04-05 December 2025 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit," the MEA statement read, highlighting the leaders' commitment to bilateral progress.

During the visit, Putin will hold bilateral talks with Modi, focusing on defence cooperation and economic expansion, key pillars of the relationship amid Trump Tariffs on India for importing Russian energy. President Droupadi Murmu will receive Putin and host a ceremonial banquet in his honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"This forthcoming State Visit will provide an opportunity for the leadership of India and Russia to review progress in bilateral relations, set the vision for strengthening the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the MEA added. The visit comes against a backdrop of robust recent engagements. PM Modi travelled to Moscow last July for the 22nd annual summit and again in October for the BRICS summit in Kazan, where the leaders discussed energy security and multilateral reforms. Their most recent face-to-face was in September at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China, where the pair held an impromptu 45-minute discussion in Putin's limousine.

Putin, speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi earlier this year, expressed enthusiasm for the trip. "I am looking forward to my upcoming visit to India in and highly await meeting with my dear friend and Russia’s trustworthy partner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi". Defence remains the cornerstone of India-Russia ties, with Russia supplying a significant percentage of India's arms imports. Economically, bilateral trade hit over $60 billion in last few years, driven by discounted Russian oil, but skewed heavily in Moscow's favour. Aiming for $100 billion by 2030, the leaders are expected to advance a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and perhaps a bilateral labour mobility pact to facilitate skilled Indian workersinRussia.