Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. | Photo credit: Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit India around December 5th to hold an annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to produce important results to further cement bilateral strategic ties.
Preparations for the famous visit are underway, but it is not yet clear whether the Russian president will come on a one-day trip or will be in India for two days.
Prior to Putin’s trip, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to India next month to confirm details of his presidential visit.
The Russian President last visited New Delhi in 2021.
It is also expected that the meeting will be held under the framework of the Intergovernmental Committee on Indo-Russia Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) prior to Putin’s trip.
At the annual India-Russia summit, Modi and Putin are expected to deliberate on further expansion of the “special and privileged strategic partnership” between the two countries. There are no official words yet regarding the date of Putin’s trip.
The focus of the consultation may be on deepening cooperation in the areas of defense and security, trade and energy, one of the people above said.
India and Russia have a mechanism in which the Indian Prime Minister and Russian President hold annual summit meetings to review the entire ties. So far, 22 annual summit meetings have been held in India and Russia.
Last July, Prime Minister Modi traveled to Moscow for the annual summit. Russia was India’s implemented partner, and the country was an important pillar of New Delhi’s foreign policy.
It turns out that India may consider procuring an additional batch of S-400 air defense missile systems from Russia after the weapons played a key role during Operation Sindoah.
In October 2018, India signed a $5 billion contract with Russia to purchase five units of the S-400 air defense missile system.
Russia had already supplied three of the five S-400 regiments ordered by India, with the remaining two expected to be implemented in 2026. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine led to delays in delivery schedules.
A month ago, Prime Minister Modi and President Putin held discussions on the margins for the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Tianjin city, China.
During the talks, the two vowed to strengthen their strategic relationship. Modi – The Putin Conference comes days after the US doubled tariffs on Indian goods by a whopping 50%, including an additional 25% obligation on India’s Russian crude purchases.
India, which defends Russian oil purchases, maintains that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics.
In his televised opening address at the meeting, Modi told the Russian president he was eagerly waiting for him to welcome him in India in December.
“This is a reflection of the depth and scope of our special and privileged strategic partnership. India and Russia were always standing from shoulder to shoulder, even in the most challenging circumstances,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that close cooperation between the two countries is important not only for the people of both countries, but also for the peace, stability and prosperity of the world.
In future summit talks, it is expected that the two leaders will also deliberate on the Ukrainian conflict.
Published – October 2, 2025 08:37 AM IST
