23rd India Russia Annual Summit

The 23rd India Russia Annual Summit underscored the resilience of a partnership navigating a world transformed by sanctions, shifting global power alignments, and turbulent regional geopolitics. Read here to learn more.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, it marked more than a diplomatic ritual.

The visit produced extensive agreements across defence and energy, space, transport, and the Arctic, signalling that the relationship, though pressured, is recalibrating rather than retreating.

The summit coincided with the 25th anniversary of the 2000 Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership. A quarter century later, the fundamentals of the relationship are being revisited and broadened. Sixteen new agreements were inked during the visit, reflecting both continuity and adaptation.

23rd India Russia Annual Summit

New Delhi and Moscow reaffirmed their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, signalling political comfort even amid unprecedented changes in Russia’s external environment.

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• One of the most significant is the adoption of ‘Programme 2030’, a vision document to upgrade strategic, economic and technological cooperation over the next five years.
• Linked to this is the renewed push for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which both sides hope will diversify trade beyond hydrocarbons and fertilizers.
• A new target of USD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 was set, ambitious but achievable given the rapid expansion of India’s imports of discounted Russian crude since 2022.
• Both countries also pledged to deepen cooperation in national payment systems, in recognition of the financial disruptions caused by sanctions on Russian banks.
• This includes work toward de-risked payment channels, rupee-Ruble settlements, and alternate mechanisms to resolve pending investment and trade dues.
• Energy, especially oil, nuclear power, LNG, and critical minerals, continues to anchor the India-Russia economic framework.

For New Delhi, which is pushing aggressively to secure long-term energy contracts and diversify supply chains, Russia remains indispensable.

Connectivity: Strategic importance for India Russia

A major highlight of the summit was the prioritization of connectivity, an area of strategic importance for both nations.

The two sides reaffirmed cooperation on three key corridors:

1. International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC): Designed to connect India with Russia via Iran and the Caspian Sea, INSTC significantly reduces freight time compared to the Suez Canal route. Operationalisation is expected to enhance India’s access to Russia and Central Asia while giving Moscow a southern gateway to the Indian Ocean.
2. Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor: This eastern maritime link reflects Russia’s “Pivot to Asia” and India’s growing interest in the Russian Far East. Reduced shipping time and enhanced cargo movement are expected to give new momentum to India’s presence in the Asia-Pacific.
3. Northern Sea Route (NSR): With Arctic ice receding, the NSR offers shorter travel times between Europe and Asia. India’s commitment to train specialists for polar-water navigation is an important step toward practical participation. The Arctic, and especially the NSR, is positioning India as a future stakeholder in a region dominated by Russia and increasingly contested by China and Western states.

Cooperation between Indian and Russian railways, especially in signalling, freight management and technology exchange, further reflects the diversification of engagement.

The Russian Far East and the Arctic

If there is one geography that represents the future trajectory of India-Russia ties, it is the Russian Far East (RFE).

• India was the first country to open a dedicated consulate there, and Prime Minister Modi’s 2019 visit set the stage for deeper engagement.
• The summit’s endorsement of the 2024-2029 cooperation framework for the Far East and Arctic includes collaboration in shipping, agriculture, mining, energy, food processing, and logistics.
• For India, involvement in the RFE offers access to critical minerals, hydrocarbons, and new investment opportunities.
• Russia welcomed India’s intention to play a more active role as an Observer in the Arctic Council, while both sides committed to regular Arctic consultations, an area of growing geopolitical salience.

India Russia Nuclear and Space Ties

Civil nuclear cooperation remains a pillar of bilateral engagement.

Russia continues to support India’s ambitious plan to achieve 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047, with the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) as the flagship project.

• The summit affirmed collaboration across the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including the supply of components, fuel, waste management, and exploration of future reactor designs.
• In the space sector, the ISRO-Roscosmos partnership remains robust despite global geopolitical shifts.
• Cooperation spans satellite navigation, Earth observation, planetary science, and human spaceflight, including past Russian training support for India’s Gaganyaan mission.

India Russia Defence Cooperation

Despite Western sanctions on Russia and diversification of India’s arms imports, defence remains central to India Russia ties.

The 2021-2031 military-technical cooperation programme emphasises joint R&D, co-development, and co-production, reflecting India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India focus.

Russia remains a key partner for maintaining and upgrading legacy systems, which still form close to 60% of India’s military inventory.

Important areas of convergence include:

• joint manufacturing of spares for Su-30MKI jets, T-90 tanks, and naval platforms
• progress on AK-203 rifle production
• naval cooperation, including submarine maintenance and technology support
• regular military exercises such as INDRA and Zapad-2025

This evolution reflects both India’s changing procurement ecosystem and Russia’s interest in deeper industrial ties.

Multilateral Cooperation: Global Forums as strategic platforms

Russia reaffirmed support for India’s candidature for a permanent UNSC seat, a longstanding diplomatic priority for New Delhi.

Moscow also backed India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026, signalling alignment in emerging multilateral groupings.

New Delhi welcomed Russia’s intention to join global initiatives such as:

• International Solar Alliance (ISA)
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
• International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

Both sides emphasized climate finance, low-carbon technologies, and cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, areas increasingly shaping global diplomacy.

On counter-terrorism, the two countries condemned attacks in Pahalgam (2025) and Moscow’s Crocus City Hall (2024), advocated for the long-pending Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), and demanded full compliance with UN counter-terror resolutions.

Challenges

Despite the warmth, the partnership faces undeniable challenges.

• Defence delays due to the Ukraine war: Delivery timelines for the S-400 system and Akula-class submarine lease have slipped.
• Unsustainable trade imbalance: India’s imports from Russia (~USD 63 billion) far exceed its exports (< USD 5 billion).
• Russia’s strategic tilt toward China: Moscow’s deep dependence on Beijing complicates India’s geopolitical calculus.
• Payment and sanctions difficulties: Blocked channels have stranded large dues. Alternative payment routes using rupee settlement frameworks, Vostro accounts, and non-sanctioned banking networks could be explored to tackle the issue.
• Recruitment of Indian nationals into Russia’s military: Tragic deaths have triggered public anger in India. This requires stronger migrant protections through the MADAD portal, eMigrate, and bilateral consular mechanisms.

Conclusion

The 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit demonstrates that the bilateral partnership is neither frozen nor fading. Instead, it is adapting to the realities of a new international order.

While defence remains important, the relationship is steadily broadening- into energy, connectivity, the Arctic, the Russian Far East, nuclear cooperation, and technological innovation.

Geopolitics may test the partnership, but economic compulsions, strategic interests, and decades of accumulated trust ensure its continuity.

The challenge ahead lies in managing divergences while expanding new areas of convergence.

As both nations navigate an increasingly multipolar world, the India–Russia relationship continues to evolve, more pragmatic, but still strategically significant.