What is Relos agreement and how does India-Russia benefit from it?

As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India today for his two-day state visit, the defence relationship between the two nations has already gained significant momentum. In the run-up to his visit, Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, ratified a key military pact with India. The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) agreement, a pact was originally signed in Moscow on February 18, 2025. The ratification, completed ahead of Putin’s landing in New Delhi, strengthens the operational foundation of India-Russia military cooperation and signals a renewed commitment to a strategic partnership that spans decades.

RELOS is a bilateral military logistics pact that establishes procedures of dispatching military units, conducting port calls for military ships, and using airspace and airfield infrastructure by military aircraft of the Russian Federation and India, as well as organizing logistical support for military units, ships, and aircraft during the different missions and joint exercises and in providing assistance to deal with the results of natural and man-made disasters.

The Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said, "Russia’s relations with India are strategic and comprehensive in nature. We value them and understand that today, by ratifying the Agreement, we take another step towards reciprocity, openness, and the development of relations."

Under the agreement, Indian and Russian forces can operate more efficiently together during joint exercises, training missions, humanitarian missions, and disaster relief efforts. The pact streamlines refuelling, replenishment, maintenance and other logistical requirements, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and enhancing operational readiness.

RELOS extends India’s strategic reach, especially for the Indian Navy, by granting access to Russian naval ports, including those along the Northern Sea Route from Vladivostok to Murmansk, according to media reports. This expands India’s operational experience in Arctic and polar waters, a theatre where it currently lacks a permanent presence, and complements its scientific and maritime ambitions in the Arctic. Concurrently, Russia gains reciprocal access to Indian naval bases in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

By creating a logistics network that spans the Arctic to the Indian Ocean, the pact strengthens interoperability between Indian and Russian armed forces.

The RELOS agreement provides India with enhanced operational reach and logistical support while offering Russia access to strategic facilities in the Indian Ocean. Both countries stand to benefit from smoother coordination during peacetime and crisis operations. This development underlines the enduring nature of India-Russia defence cooperation in a complex geopolitical landscape.