By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Putin in India and why Delhi needs Moscow

U.S. Policy Is Forcing New Delhi to Turn to Its Rival. Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been welcomed to India with a 21-gun salute and a guard of honor ahead of talks with PM Narendra Modi. This is Putin's first visit to the country since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Kremlin will enjoy demonstrating that Western efforts to isolate it have failed.

Putin’s visit to Delhi comes at a time when there's an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Ukraine

The ICC alleges that the Russian leader is responsible for the unlawful deportation of children and their unlawful transfer from Ukraine to Russia and Russian-controlled areas. Ukraine accuses Russia of abducting tens of thousands of children without the consent of their families. The Kremlin denies the charges and has previously said it was protecting children from the front line.

While the warrant, issued in 2023, does impact how Putin travels internationally, it won’t pose any challenges during this trip because the ICC can only exercise jurisdiction within its 125 member countries - and India is not one of them.  The Russian leader continues to travel to other countries, too, that are not members of the ICC, sidestepping the risk of arrest while maintaining key diplomatic ties.  In recent months, he has travelled to China and Kyrgyzstan, both outside the ICC’s jurisdiction.

Putin, who is known to have compared himself to Peter the Great, is determined to shape the future to look like his past version. Russia’s president invaded Ukraine not because he felt threatened by NATO expansion or Western “provocations.” He ordered his “special military operation” because he believed it was Russia’s divine right to rule Ukraine, wipe out the country’s national identity, and integrate its people into a Greater Russia.

Putin and Modi also hail cooperation agreements, signed before the briefing, with the Indian leader pointing to new consulates opening up in Russia.

Vladimir Putin says Russia stands ready to provide "uninterrupted shipments" of fuel to India as Delhi faces pressure from Trump to stop buying Moscow's oil. Putin made his comments during a joint media briefing with PM Narendra Modi, while on his visit to India.

President Putin and Prime Minister Modi have just wrapped up their press conference in Delhi, where they have outlined plans to boost trade and agriculture ties and improve people-to-people contacts. Putin arrived in India on Thursday and was welcomed by Modi at the airport in Delhi, where they shared a warm hug and handshake.

On Friday morning, Putin received a 21, gun salute and a guard of honor at the Indian president's house and visited the Mahatma Gandhi memorial The two leaders spoke about Ukraine and peace, Modi repeated India's stance that it was not neutral on the war and stood on "the side of peace" while Putin said that Russia was working on a "peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict."

After their bilateral meeting, the leaders read out statements saying that India and Russia had agreed on an economic program until 2030. No mega defense deals were announced, but there were agreements signed on shipbuilding, investments in civil nuclear energy, and critical minerals. Russia also said it would supply "uninterrupted" fuel to India.

Shortly before the meeting, Russian media reported the Kremlin saying that Moscow was waiting for a response from Washington following talks on a possible plan to end its war in Ukraine. Putin's India visit comes against the backdrop of US efforts to broker peace. On Thursday, Putin warned again that Ukraine must withdraw from the Donbas region or Russia will seize it.

Indian and Russian flags line a street leading to the President's house in Delhi.

 

Russia's long-standing love for Bollywood

It was as early as in 1955 when Bollywood's then top star Raj Kapoor sang his way into the hearts of Russians with his famous song about his "Japanese shoes and red Russian hat".

So, it seemed like a hat tip from President Putin when, in October, speaking at a Valdai Discussion Group meeting, he expressed his admiration for Indian cinema and said that it continued to enjoy a huge fan base in Russia.

The connection with Bollywood dates back to Soviet-era cultural diplomacy, when films like Awaara and Disco Dancer became hugely popular across Russia, and Bollywood stars like Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty became household names.

Audiences connected with the rags-to-riches stories and battles between good and evil in these films. Current stars like (pictured below) Shah Rukh Khan continue to be popular among Russians. In fact, Khan's film Pathan was released simultaneously in Russia and India.

India and Russia could announce greater civil nuclear cooperation, Putin told the Indian broadcaster India Today in an interview aired on Thursday night local time. “Russia is probably the only country in the world today capable of building – and actually does build- small nuclear power plants. Such plants are already operational in Russia, and we can make them either floating or ground-based," he said.

Earlier this year, India announced a target to produce 100GW of nuclear power by 2070, up more than 10-fold from its current capacity, with small modular reactors playing an important role in this expansion. Before Putin’s visit, Indian officials had also met with the Russian nuclear power company Rosatom to discuss the development of both large and small-scale plants.

In the interview, Putin mentioned the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in southern India, which has reactors built with Russian assistance, as an example of Indo-Russian collaboration in the sphere.

Opposition asks why Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to meet Putin

Opposition politicians have criticized the government for not allowing Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in parliament, to meet Putin during this visit.

“This is deliberate and breaking a tradition followed by previous governments and prime ministers,” Congress party MP Rajiv Shukla told reporters on Friday, adding that the Nehru-Gandhi family has had strong ties with Russia.

On Thursday, Gandhi had himself expressed displeasure and blamed the government’s “insecurity” for not following the tradition of allowing visiting foreign leaders to meet the opposition leader. “The leader of the opposition provides a second perspective. We also represent India, but the government doesn’t want us to meet foreign dignitaries,” he said.

 

Building India's largest nuclear power plant

India and Russia could announce greater civil nuclear cooperation, Putin told the Indian broadcaster India Today in an interview aired on Thursday night local time. “Russia is probably the only country in the world today capable of building, and actually does build, small nuclear power plants. Such plants are already operational in Russia, and we can make them either floating or ground-based," he said.

India's largest nuclear reactor at Kudankulam built with Russian assistance

Earlier this year, India announced a target to produce 100GW of nuclear power by 2070, up more than 10-fold from its current capacity, with small modular reactors playing an important role in this expansion. Before Putin’s visit, Indian officials had also met with the Russian nuclear power company Rosatom to discuss the development of both large and small-scale plants.

In the interview, Putin mentioned the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in southern India, which has reactors built with Russian assistance, as an example of Indo-Russian collaboration in the sphere.

 

Putin at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The Russian president has received a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of India's president. He was seen shaking hands with President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi before receiving the guard of honor.

This is the first program today in his official schedule. He is now heading to Rajghat to pay tributes to Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi. President Putin was welcomed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Indian president's house.

He was given a 21-gun salute upon arrival and was greeted by Prime Minister Modi and President Droupadi Murmu. The national anthems of both countries were played by an army band as the leaders stood at attention.

India’s enduring partnership with Russia remains a key pillar of strategic autonomy - even as Delhi deepens ties with the West.

First, Russia has been a key source of discounted crude oil, helping support India’s energy security and manage inflation, even though purchases have been tempered by US sanctions. Second, the legacy of defense cooperation - joint manufacturing, supply of spares, and license-built platforms - still underpins India’s military readiness at a time of regional uncertainty.

Modi and Vladimir Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 in September in Tianjin, China

Third, preserving ties with Moscow gives Delhi diplomatic leverage in a multipolar world: engaging Russia balances Western influence and helps it keep options open on global issues. Putin’s visit thus offers Delhi a chance to reinforce energy, trade, defense, and geopolitical buffers - even as India diversifies its partnerships.

 

The furor over Russian oil

The biggest flashpoint in India’s relationship with the US, and the West in general, has been its purchase of discounted Russian oil, which shot up from barely 2.5% of imports before the war with Ukraine began in 2022 to around 35.8% in 2024-25.

India has been resolute in its stance of practising energy autonomy, saying it will import the cheapest oil possible to ensure the millions of Indians who live in poverty don’t have to cough up high costs for fuel.

Delhi has also accused Ukraine's allies of hypocrisy, pointing out that the European Union was continuing to import Russian energy, albeit at reduced levels. Even in the face of new sanctions from the US and Europe, these purchases have remained steady. However, pressure is now beginning to show.

India’s largest conglomerate, Reliance Industries, has stopped importing Russian crude, and overall imports have also reportedly started coming down since November.

The grounds of a fuel tank farm of Russia's oil pipeline giant Transneft.

 

Delhi needs Moscow because of Crude Oil 

India’s enduring partnership with Russia remains a key pillar of strategic autonomy, even as Delhi deepens ties with the West.

First, Russia has been a key source of discounted crude oil, helping support India’s energy security and manage inflation, even though purchases have been tempered by US sanctions. Second, the legacy of defence cooperation - joint manufacturing, supply of spares and licence‑built platforms - still underpins India’s military readiness at a time of regional uncertainty.

Third, preserving ties with Moscow gives Delhi diplomatic leverage in a multipolar world: engaging Russia balances Western influence and helps it keep options open on global issues. Putin’s visit thus offers Delhi a chance to reinforce energy, trade, defense, and geopolitical buffers, even as India diversifies its partnerships.

 

So why is Putin in India?

India and Russia have been close allies for decades, and Putin and Modi share a warm relationship. The leaders will meet for talks soon, and the countries are expected to sign a number of deals. For Moscow, weapons sales to India are a priority, and reports say Delhi plans to purchase state-of-the-art Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets and the upgraded S-500 air defense systems. Modi would also want Russia's economy to open up for Indian products.

But aside from the trade negotiations, geopolitics is also at stake here. Putin’s visit comes at a time when Russia is facing international sanctions because of its war in Ukraine. By flying to India and meeting Modi, Putin is sending a message to the West that its efforts to isolate Moscow have failed.

 

Sum Up

Putin arrived on Thursday evening, 4 December, in Delhi and was greeted with a hug and handshake by PM Modi at the airport, followed by a private dinner. Russian newspapers say the leaders spoke for 2.5 hours last night, but details haven't been released yet.

Delhi has turned into a fortress, and security is tight at the venue of the joint business forum Bharat Mandapam - one of India's largest convention centers that hosts important global events, including the 2023 G20 Summit.

Security officials are conducting sweeping checks with sniffer dogs, handheld scanners, and metal detectors. Even before entering the main hall, I was stopped for additional verification and asked to show my government identity proof, something not usually required at similar events.

More than 100 business leaders and ministers from India and Russia will be meeting here to work out crucial trade agreements.

This is Putin's first visit to India since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022

It also comes against the backdrop of US efforts to broker peace, but Putin warned again on Thursday that Ukraine must withdraw from the Donbas region or Russia will seize it.

On Friday morning, Putin received a guard of honour at the presidential palace, where he was welcomed by Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.

He has a busy day ahead, with several meetings lined up, including formal talks with Modi. On the table will be business negotiations and talks over a range of issues, including energy, defense and trade, and strategic cooperation.

Russia, India to sign deal on S-400 air defense system this week, Kremlin says.

Modi will be walking a tightrope. Cautious, that his proximity to Putin should not come at the cost of ties with Donald Trump, which have been unpredictable for some time.

Moscow has been negotiating to sell the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles to India for months. The sale has irked India’s defense partner Washington, which has wanted to wean India off Russian technology, and a senior Pentagon official said in August that sanctions against India would come under consideration if the purchase goes through.

Other countries such as China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have all bought or are planning to buy the anti-aircraft missile weapon. US military officials and politicians have also expressed concerns over Turkey’s intention to buy the Russian missile system.

Erdogan said Ankara would try to procure the missile system as soon as possible, which will likely be in 2019.

In June, Saudi Arabia said it would consider “all necessary measures” if Qatar closes the deal with Russia. Despite these threats, Russia has said the supply of the missiles to Qatar will continue, with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani saying acquiring the system is a “sovereign” decision.

Russia’s defense minister also said that the delivery of a modern S-300 system to bolster Syria’s air defense has been completed.

 

 

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