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India and Russia agreed on a strategic economic roadmap for 2030 and signed pacts on labour mobility, fertiliser supply, and the granting of free 30-day tourist visas for Russian nationals after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
The two leaders held a meeting for more than an hour at Hyderabad House, where they discussed the situation in Ukraine and cooperation across economic, political and strategic sectors.
PM Modi underlined Delhi’s support for peace efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, telling Putin that India is “not neutral” and “is on the side of peace”.
“After the Ukraine crisis, we have been in touch…you have also been making us aware of the developments as a true friend. This trust is a big strength, and we have discussed this issue many times. The welfare of the world is through peace. We should all work together towards peace. And the efforts that are going on recently, I believe, the world will once again return toward the direction of peace,” Modi said.
“In the last few days, whenever I have spoken to world leaders, I have always told them that India is not neutral, India is on the side of peace; we support all efforts towards peace. And we stand shoulder to shoulder in these peace efforts,” Modi said, with Putin sitting by his side. This is Putin’s first visit to India since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022–he was last here in December 2021.
Modi announced the economic cooperation roadmap with Russia, as it has set a bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030.
Putin, while addressing the hot-button issue of oil imports, said, “We are also seeing a successful partnership in energy. Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and everything that is required for the development of India’s energy. We are ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the fast-growing Indian economy.”
The US has imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. India is also facing secondary sanctions from the US and Europe.
Talking about civilian nuclear energy cooperation, Putin said, “We are also conducting a flagship project to build the largest Indian nuclear power plant, Kudankulam. Two out of six reactor units have been connected to the energy network, and four are still under construction. Getting this nuclear power plant to full power output will give an impressive contribution to the energy requirements of India, which will help supply Indian enterprises and houses with cheap and clean energy.”
“We talked about the construction of small modular reactors and floating nuclear power plants, and also non-energy applications of nuclear technologies, for example, in medicine or agriculture,” he added.
Touching on the defence cooperation, Putin said, “Russia and India are traditionally closely cooperating in the military technical sphere. Our country, for the last half a century, has been helping to arm and modernise the Indian Army, including the air defence forces, aviation and the Navy in general. We are undoubtedly satisfied with the results of the negotiation we just had.” The leaders did not elaborate on the defence equipment and projects like the S-400 air defence system or the Sukhoi aircraft.
Modi also praised Putin for his visionary role in establishing the strategic partnership with India in 2000, when he met then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Describing Putin’s visit as “very historic”, Modi said, “When you took over in 2000, your first visit took place to India, and it has been 25 years since. And in your first visit itself, the foundation for a strategic partnership was laid.”
He then recalled his visit to Russia as part of the Indian delegation with PM Vajpayee in 2001, “And for me, it is a matter of happiness that my relations with you have also been 25 years long”.
“In 2001, the foundation that you laid, as a visionary leader—how one thinks and how one begins and where the ties can lead to—is an excellent example of India-Russia bilateral ties,” he said, crediting him for the two-and-a-half-decade journey.
Talking about the private dinner at Modi’s Lok Kalyan Marg residence on Thursday, where the PM gifted him a copy of the Gita in Russian, Putin said, “Yesterday’s sitting was very good. We had friendly and, at the same time, very substantial talks. We discussed a great deal of details about the events taking place in Ukraine, together with some partners, including the United States, on a possible peaceful settlement.”
“Thank you for your attention to finding a solution to this situation,” he added.
“Our relations are deeply rooted in history, but it is not the past that matters. It is the substance of the matter which is very profound,” Putin said.
Framing the current geopolitical situation in the larger context of uncertainties—without referring to the disruptive moves by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs—Modi said, “The world has gone through several crises, including COVID. We hope the world will be free from worries and move towards the right direction.”
He added that “India-Russia economic ties will be strengthened”, and will “scale new heights”.
Earlier in the day, Putin was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he met President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi, along with senior ministers and officials. From there, he went to the Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
After the bilateral talks, the two leaders will head to the India-Russia business forum, where they will address business leaders from both countries. In the evening, Putin will be hosted by President Murmu for a banquet.
Putin, who arrived in India on Thursday evening, was received by Modi at the airport—a rare gesture accorded to just half a dozen leaders by the PM in the last 11-and-a-half years of his tenure.
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