Putin’s India Visit: Trade, Defence and Oil Top a Packed Agenda

Russian President Vladimir Putin is travelling to India on 4-5 December, his first trip since Russian forces entered Ukraine in 2022. The visit comes as India balances its historic ties with Moscow against mounting pressure from Western capitals, especially Washington, to scale back cooperation. Officials in both countries say the agenda is packed, spanning trade, defence, labour mobility, civil nuclear energy and the wider geopolitical context.

New Delhi and Moscow have portrayed the two-day summit as a routine engagement between long-standing partners. Yet the timing, amid the ongoing Ukraine war and new United States sanctions on India’s energy links with Russia, gives the meeting extra weight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to use the talks to protect India’s economic interests while keeping space for dialogue with all major powers.

India-Russia trade and Putin visit India

Both sides are placing trade at the centre of the Putin visit India agenda. This will be Putin’s first trip to India since 2021, a few months before the invasion, and officials have already framed discussions around boosting commerce and fixing payment problems. Russia wants to shield bilateral trade from outside pressure and build a system that is less exposed to restrictions from third countries.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said some governments are attempting to slow India-Russia trade, but that Moscow and New Delhi intend to resist that pressure and grow exchanges to $100 billion within five years. "There are some countries that would try and put obstacles on the way of development of our trade. So let's stick to our own interests and we have to make sure that India is sharing this approach," said Peskov, speaking to Sputnik News.

India-Russia economic ties and Putin visit India

Russian officials have floated the idea of a new trade "architecture" with India that would protect flows from sanctions. This includes building mechanisms for settlement in national currencies instead of using the dollar. At the VTB Investment Forum before the trip, Putin underlined that imports from India would feature strongly in the talks with Modi. "I and Prime Minister Modi will discuss Indian imports during the upcoming visit," said the Russian strongman.

During the visit, Putin is due to attend the India-Russia Business Forum hosted in New Delhi. Indian officials say the event will look at widening the footprint of Indian engineering products in Russia, greater Russian purchases of Indian food items, especially marine products, and new opportunities for digital services. There is also emphasis on raising Russian imports of Indian pharmaceutical products and other manufactured goods.

India-Russia defence cooperation and Putin visit India

An Economic Times report adds that the forum will seek to expand the role of Indian suppliers in the Russian market, deepen industrial cooperation and push joint projects. High-technology collaborations and attracting skilled workers from India are also on the agenda. These economic steps will sit alongside discussions on security cooperation, where Russia still accounts for the bulk of India’s imported defence hardware.

Defence talks are expected to be among the most closely watched parts of the Putin visit India. India is looking to progress several pending acquisitions, led by additional S-400 air defence systems. "S-400 is on the agenda. We will have certain members of the delegation that can discuss in detail. The only thing I will say is that our military industry is working pretty well. We have managed to enlarge the volumes of production," Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian President said at an online interaction with the Indian press organised by the Sputnik News Agency.

India-Russia security deals and Putin visit India

Reports suggest New Delhi may seek five more S-400 regiments and is also examining the S-500 Prometheus, regarded as a more advanced version of the system. Interest sharpened after Operation Sindoor, when the platform engaged Pakistan drones and aircraft and achieved its longest-range strike. Both governments are also likely to discuss the possible purchase of at least two squadrons of Su-57 fighter jets.

Peskov has already promoted the aircraft, stating earlier, "Su- 57 is the best plane in the world. Su-57 will be on the agenda." Ahead of the summit, the Russian Duma ratified the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support pact, or RELOS, which covers logistics cooperation between the two militaries. Officials expect Putin and Modi to review this agreement and consider fresh joint projects, including assembling the 48N6 missile used in the S-400 system in India, led by Bharat Dynamics Limited.

India-Russia energy, oil and Putin visit India

Energy remains another core pillar of India-Russia relations under discussion during the Putin visit India. India has continued buying Russian crude despite moves by US President Donald Trump to discourage such purchases. Trump imposed an extra 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, bringing the rate to 50 per cent, after New Delhi stepped up crude imports from Russia, and later announced secondary sanctions on Russian firms.

Russian companies Lukoil and Rosneft, which together account for more than half of Russia’s crude exports, have been targeted. Moscow wants India to keep importing Russian oil despite these measures. A government source said Putin’s delegation will include the heads of sanctioned producers Rosneft and GazpromNeft, signalling that crude sales and payment channels will be discussed. India is also expected to push for restoring ONGC Videsh Ltd’s 20 per cent stake in the Sakhalin-1 project in Russia’s far east.

India-Russia nuclear cooperation and Putin visit India

Civil nuclear energy is another topic expected to feature during the Putin visit India. Peskov has indicated that both sides could sign a new agreement in this sector. "There will be an offer for small reactor. Russia possess important tech small and flexible reactor. Russia has real experience in producing small reactors. We're exchanging mutual investments, joint investments and it makes this kind of cooperation even more valuable for our countries, in terms for securing future of this country. We were deeply involved in creating a sector of peaceful nuclear energy in India, in Kudankulam, and so we were hoping for the continuation of this project," Peskov said.

India has shown interest in such small modular reactors, often around 300MW capacity, which cost less and can be deployed closer to consumption centres. In 2023, New Delhi explored possible cooperation on this technology with several partners, including France. For Russia, expanding the Kudankulam model and related ventures would deepen long-term industrial and scientific links with India.

India-Russia labour mobility and Putin visit India

One of the most anticipated outcomes from the Putin visit India is a labour mobility agreement. Officials expect a pact that provides a legal framework for skilled Indian workers to migrate and take jobs in Russian sectors facing shortages, including IT services and other specialised industries. The Ministry of External Affairs has described this proposed agreement as the "single most important development".

Under quotas overseen by the Russian Ministry of Labour, more than 70,000 Indian nationals are expected to be formally employed in Russia by the end of the year. Moscow-based Indian Business Alliance president Sammy Manoj Kotwani told PTI, "India has one of the world's most dynamic and skilled workforce and Russia is undergoing a major industrial transformation. This agreement creates a win-win opportunity for both sides — providing skilled manpower for Russia's economy while ensuring secure and dignified employment for Indian professionals."

The Indian side is also expected to raise the issue of nationals recruited into the Russian military. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, around 50 Indians remain in Russian forces and are likely to be released soon. During Modi’s earlier visit to Russia, the prime minister asked Putin to stop the recruitment of Indian citizens, and officials say that message will be repeated.

US policy and the Ukraine war are set to form the backdrop of strategic conversations during the Putin visit India. While Indian officials were once seen as hopeful about Trump’s second term, the White House has steadily increased pressure on New Delhi over Russian oil purchases. The combined effect of tariffs and sanctions is now central to India’s energy and foreign policy calculations.

Experts expect Modi to again press for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a position India has stated at various international forums. The summit follows Putin’s discussions with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner from the United States about a possible peace deal. Peskov has said that Putin’s trip to India will deliver "significant outcomes" across strategic, defence, energy and trade areas, and both governments will be keen to show progress when the visit ends.