Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on a two-day State Visit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally welcomed him at the airport in a rare gesture. The two leaders hugged, exchanged warm greetings, and left the airport together in the same vehicle.
They also paused to watch and applaud a cultural performance arranged as part of the reception.
New Delhi displayed large welcome banners across key routes, reflecting the diplomatic weight of the visit.
This trip marks Putin’s first visit to India since the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine in 2022.
PM Modi will host Putin for a private dinner at his residence later in the evening, mirroring the special gesture Putin extended when he hosted PM Modi in Moscow last year.
Russian officials have described this private dinner as a key moment of the visit.
The 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit will take place on Friday. The summit comes at a time when the United States has imposed punitive sanctions on New Delhi, adding geopolitical significance to the engagement.
Defence cooperation, trade expansion and energy partnerships will dominate the agenda.
Strategic Talks Ahead
President Putin will receive a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan before moving to Hyderabad House for the formal talks. He will also lay a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial.
Russian officials confirmed that Putin will hold both narrow and expanded-format talks with PM Modi. They expect detailed discussions on trade and economic cooperation.
Several agreements are set to be signed, including a programme for developing strategic areas of economic cooperation until 2030.
The visit may also produce an agreement to facilitate the movement of Indian workers to Russia. Both sides are likely to discuss India’s proposed free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, an initiative New Delhi has been pursuing to deepen long-term economic ties.
After the summit, President Droupadi Murmu will host a state banquet in President Putin’s honour.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will also launch a new India channel of Russia’s state-run broadcaster RT, signalling greater media outreach and soft-power engagement.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the visit will help both leaders review bilateral progress and shape the future vision of the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’.
India considers Russia a longstanding and reliable partner, with cooperation spanning defence, security, energy, science, technology, culture, and people-to-people ties.
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