The President of Russia is in India on a state visit

Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi heading off in the same car to the official residence of the Indian Prime Minister to have an informal dinner.
Photo: Kremlin.ru

Vladimir Putin arrived in India on a state visit.

The President of Russia was welcomed at the steps of his plane by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

An official welcoming ceremony for Vladimir Putin
Photo: Kremlin.ru

An official welcoming ceremony for Vladimir Putin, hosted by President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took place on the square in front of the Presidential Palace in New Delhi.

The President of Russia then visited the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian people in their struggle for national liberation.

A conversation between Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was subsequently held at Hyderabad House.

Vladimir Putin with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
Photo: Kremlin.ru

Vladimir Putin met with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House.

New Delhi, December 5, 2025

Photo: Kremlin.ru

Taking part in the conversation on Russia's side were First Deputy Prime Minister, Russian Co-Chair of the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation Denis Manturov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Aide to the President Yury Ushakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to India Denis Alipov, Minister of Defence, Russian Co-Chair of the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation Andrei Belousov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Governor of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina, Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev, and Rosneft CEO, Executive Secretary of the Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security Igor Sechin, Kremlin informs.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi (retranslated): Your Excellency, dear friend,

I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet with you and to welcome you and your delegation to our country.

Since yesterday, representatives of your delegation have conducted numerous events and meetings with their Indian counterparts, and we have already seen substantial results and agreements following the conclusion of our annual summit. I am therefore confident that our summit will prove highly successful.

Your current visit, Mr President, carries truly historic significance. Exactly 25 years ago, you first visited India as President of the Russian Federation and laid the foundations of our strategic partnership. For me personally, this is also a momentous occasion, as we have known each other for 25 years.

Mr President, your role since the year 2000 – over the past two and a half decades – stands as testament to your far-sighted and steadfast leadership and to how bilateral relations should be developed. This serves as an exemplary model for other relationships, demonstrating how India-Russia relations have flourished.

Mr President, we regularly exchange views regarding Ukraine. As a true friend, you share with me the developments in this area. This reflects the profound trust between our nations. This is the strength – the true strength – of our relations.

We observe that the world is going through significant transformations, yet we consistently advocate for the establishment of peace, for its swift attainment, and we support all recent efforts in this regard. We must all work together to advance this cause – for the sake of peace. I am absolutely confident that the world will once again tread this path.

Your Excellency, when I meet with world leaders, I always tell them that India is not a neutral country; India does not hold a neutral position. We have our own stance, and that stance is in favour of peace – it is a position of peace. We support all efforts aimed at establishing peace, and we will march shoulder to shoulder with all powers that adhere to this path.

Mr President, the entire world has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic, and there have been various other crises as well. Thus, we hope that we are once again on the path of progress and development, and our meeting today will instil hope in this regard.

Mr President, throughout the day, we will discuss a wide range of topics. May our meeting impart fresh momentum to our economic cooperation. We place great hopes on today’s discussions, and we anticipate positive outcomes from our meeting.

Dear friend, once again, I extend my warmest welcome to you and your delegation in India.

Thank you.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, friends,

Thank you for the kind invitation and for such a pleasant evening yesterday. I particularly enjoyed our conversation, which was both friendly and immensely valuable.

I am grateful for the opportunity to explain in detail the situation in Ukraine, and for the chance to outline our joint efforts, alongside other partners such as the United States, to find a peaceful resolution to this crisis. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your personal effort to its resolution.

As for our bilateral relations, they represent a partnership with profound historical depth. However we choose to describe it, the true substance is what matters – and that substance is remarkably strong. We value this deeply, and we note, Mr Prime Minister, considerable personal attention you devote to nurturing it.

In recent years, we have accomplished a great deal in advancing our ties. As our nations and economies progress, so do the opportunities for our collaboration. We are adding new avenues for cooperation and joint advancement, including projects in areas such as high technology, aviation, space, and artificial intelligence. Our partnership in the military-technical sphere continues to be a cornerstone of mutual trust.

We are fully committed to advancing in all these areas, which only serves to underscore the exceptional level, nature, and trust inherent in our relationship.

Our teams have laid excellent groundwork in preparation for this visit, resulting in a number of significant documents. I look forward to discussing some of these initiatives further today, and I am confident we will conclude our meetings with a most positive outcome.

Thank you.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of signed documents.

A Joint Statement was adopted following the 23rd Russia-India Annual Summit, titled Russia – India: A Time-Tested Progressive Partnership, Anchored in Trust & Mutual Respect.

Among the documents signed were the Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030 and intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in combatting illegal migration and on the temporary employment of citizens of one country in the other.

In particular, several intergovernmental documents were signed covering cooperation in healthcare, medical education and science, food safety, and the training of specialists for ships operating in polar waters.

Additional agreements address an investment project to build a plant for producing active pharmaceutical substances in Russia’s Kaluga Region, as well as storage, processing, and transmission of data in space systems, and cooperation in education, television and radio broadcasting, investment, trade, exports, and other areas.

Following Russian-Indian talks, Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi made statements for the media.
Photo: Kremlin.ru

Following Russian-Indian talks, Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi made statements for the media.

The statements were preceded by a ceremony for the exchange of signed documents, Kremlin informs.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi (retranslated): Your Excellency Vladimir Putin, my dear friend,

Representatives of the two countries, and our friends from India, good afternoon.

I am delighted to welcome President Putin to the 23rd Russia – India Annual Summit.

President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India is taking place at a time marked by several historical dates in our relations. President Putin laid the groundwork for our strategic cooperation 25 years ago, and 15 years ago, in 2010, we upgraded our partnership to the level of a special privileged strategic partnership.

Over the past 25 years, President Putin has been relentless in promoting these relations by demonstrating his wise leadership and vision. Regardless of the circumstances, it is his leadership that has reinforced our mutual relations and enabled us to achieve new heights.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Putin for his friendship and for his unwavering commitment to working with India.

Friends,

The world has faced numerous ups and downs over the past 80 years, during which humankind has had to endure many crises and challenges. And throughout this time, the friendship between Russia and India has successfully weathered these storms. These relations are based on mutual respect and deep trust and have invariably stood the test of time.

Today, we discussed our ties and cooperation in all their aspects with a view to creating an even more solid foundation.

We want to reinforce our economic cooperation and elevate it to a new level. This is the objective we share and it is our shared priority. To make this a reality, we have agreed to implement a programme for economic cooperation until 2030. It will provide for diversifying our trade and investment, making them more balanced and sustainable. At the same time, it will help unlock new dimensions in our cooperation.

Today, President Putin and I will be taking part in the Russia – India Business Forum. I am convinced that this platform will also help strengthen our business ties and open new doors for exports, joint manufacture and technical innovation.

Both countries have been proactive in working on a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and our country.

Our cooperation in agriculture and fertilisers is extremely important for our food security and the prosperity of our farmers.

I am happy that our countries will work together to promote our mutual production of urea.

Friends, promoting connectivity between our countries is another priority for us.

We will redouble our efforts regarding the discussions on the North-South International Transport Corridor and the Vladivostok-Chennai Maritime Corridor.

I am confident that we will effectively cooperate in the interests of promoting polar trade via local trade routes. We have offered an opportunity to strengthen our cooperation in the Arctic, which will create new jobs for Indian young people.

At the same time, our deep cooperation in shipbuilding will help us boost our joint initiatives. This is yet another important example of our mutually beneficial cooperation, which is increasing the number of jobs and skills while strengthening regional connectivity.

Energy security is another important pillar of partnership between Russia and India. Our cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy, which is rooted in our history, has helped us uphold our commitment to providing clean energy, which is extremely important for both countries.

I have no doubt that our mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of critical minerals will also be important for a safe and diversified provision of resources to the world.

We also maintain our cooperation in such areas as clean energy, high technologies and modern industries.

Friends,

Our cultural relations and ties between individual representatives of our countries are of special importance for relations between Russia and India. Over the past decades, our peoples have demonstrated respect and admiration for each other’s cultures, and we have coordinated various measures to further strengthen this cooperation.

The recent opening of two Indian consulates in Russia is a significant step forward, facilitating contacts for all our citizens and bringing our nations even closer together.

This October, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims received blessings at the sacred relics of Buddha Shakyamuni in Kalmykia. I am confident that we will soon implement a 30-day visa-free regime for tourist groups, which will greatly enhance travel between our countries. This measure will not only bring our peoples closer but also invigorate our societies and unlock new opportunities. I am therefore pleased that today we were able to sign two key agreements to advance this initiative.

Our collaboration will also deepen in education and professional development, including through increased student and academic exchanges.

Friends,

Today, we discussed a range of pressing regional and global issues. On Ukraine, India’s position has been consistent from the outset: we stand for peace. We welcome all initiatives and efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful, long-term resolution of this conflict. India has always been ready to support such efforts, and we will continue to do so.

India and Russia have always supported one another and worked shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism. The terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the cowardly atrocity at Crocus City Hall are connected by a common, hateful ideology. India firmly believes that terrorism constitutes a direct assault on universal human values. Our unity within the global community is the only effective way to combat this evil.

We cooperate closely within the UN, the G20, the SCO, BRICS, and other multilateral forums. We will continue this essential dialogue and cooperation across all these platforms.

Your Excellency,

I am confident that our enduring friendship will provide the strength needed to address global challenges. Together, we can help lead the way towards a more prosperous future.

Once again, I thank you and all members of your delegation for your visit to India. Thank you very much.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, dear friend,

Ladies and gentlemen,

My sincere thanks to the President of the Republic of India, Droupadi Murmu, to you, Mr Prime Minister, and to all our Indian colleagues for the exceptionally warm and cordial welcome extended to the Russian delegation.

The discussions we have just concluded with our Indian colleagues, along with our highly productive one-on-one conversation last night – for which I thank you again, Mr Modi, for your generous hospitality – were held in a constructive and friendly spirit, reflecting the privileged partnership between Russia and India.

I would note that the Prime Minister and I have established a close working and personal rapport. We have met at the SCO summit in September, we maintain regular contact by telephone and personally oversee the development of our strategic cooperation across all key areas, as well as the progress of major bilateral projects.

Today, with the participation of our delegations, we conducted a thorough and comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of Russian-Indian cooperation. We also exchanged views on current international and regional issues.

The joint statement we have adopted outlines clear priorities for advancing our ties in politics, security, trade, the economy, and cultural and humanitarian affairs. As you have seen, this was complemented by the signing of a substantial package of intergovernmental, interdepartmental, and corporate agreements.

Many of these documents are aimed at expanding our economic partnership. This is only natural, as our nations are important partners in trade, investment, and technology. Last year, our bilateral trade grew by a further 12 percent, reaching a new record. While various estimates differ slightly, the consensus places the figure somewhere between US$64 and US$65 billion. We project trade will stand at a comparable level by year’s end.

That said, we believe there is clear potential to increase this volume to US$100 billion. To realise this ambitious goal, we have now agreed upon a joint Programme for the Development of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030. This comprehensive roadmap provides clear guidelines. Our intergovernmental commission and the relevant economic ministries and agencies are tasked with removing barriers to the flows of goods and capital, implementing joint industrial projects, and deepening our collaboration in technology and investment.

Today, His Excellency the Prime Minister shared a comprehensive list of issues with us. It goes without saying that both Russia and India will be extremely diligent and responsive in reviewing them. Make no mistake, we will work on this matter.

Of course, having India create a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union would help boost Russia-India business ties. The effort to draft an agreement to this effect is already in progress.

I must express my satisfaction with the fact that the two countries have been consistent in their commitment to switching to national currencies in mutual transactions. Their share in business deals has already reached 96 percent. Our two countries have developed resilient interbank channels for lending and financial transactions. Russian economic actors have been making wider use of the rupees they generate from export contracts. Major joint projects receive their funding in Russian rubles.

There has been positive momentum in our energy partnership. Russia is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything India needs for developing its energy sector. We are ready to continue ensuring uninterrupted fuel supplies for the Indian economy to support its rapid expansion.

Of course, our bilateral energy cooperation goes far beyond this horizon. The flagship project to build India’s biggest NPP, Kudankulam, is underway. Two out of six reactors have been connected to the power grid, while the other four are in the engineering and construction stages.

Once this NPP reaches its full capacity, it will make a meaningful contribution to India’s energy mix, helping Indian companies and households access affordable and clean energy. We believe that building small modular reactors and floating NPPs could also be relevant, just as using nuclear technology for non-energy purposes, including in healthcare, agriculture and other sectors.

We are also working with our Indian partners to create new effective international transport logistics routes. This includes a project to create the North-South corridor linking Russia and Belarus to the Indian Ocean. Infrastructure development along the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor, including the Northern Sea Route as its main artery, offers ample opportunities for expanding bilateral trade.

There are many other economic sectors in which Russia and India have built a positive track record. We are working on joint initiatives in manufacturing, machine building, digital technology, space exploration and other research-intensive domains.

For example, a business agreement that was signed as part of the visit provides for building a major Russian-Indian pharmaceutical plant in the Kaluga Region for producing high-quality anticancer medicine using cutting-edge Indian technology. At the same time, Russian companies will start producing their goods as part of the Make in India programme, which is Prime Minister Modi’s flagship project.

Prospects for strengthening interaction between Russian and Indian entrepreneurs and business communities are being discussed in detail at the business forum that is currently underway in New Delhi. Mr Prime Minister and I will attend its plenary session later today.

Russian-Indian humanitarian cooperation is ongoing in many spheres. Our peoples have been sincerely interested in each other’s traditions, history and spiritual values for centuries. Our scientific and educational contacts, as well as youth and public exchanges are actively developing. The regular cross festivals of Russian and Indian films invariably enjoy success. Mutual tourist flows grow every year.

The Russian RT channel will begin broadcasting to India today. This will certainly help the Indian audience learn more about Russia and Russians and acquire objective information about current developments in our country.

Our discussions on key global and regional issues have reaffirmed the similarity of our countries’ positions. Russia and India pursue an independent and sovereign foreign policy.

We are working together with our allies in BRICS, the SCO and other countries of the Global Majority to promote the shaping of a more just and democratic multipolar world order, and to protect the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter. These include the right of every country to its own path of development, the preservation of its own cultural and civilisational identity, respect for sovereignty and a delicate balance of interests of all members of the international community.

Russia and India, as the founding nations of BRICS, have done and continue to do a great deal to enhance the prestige of that organisation. As you know, India will assume the BRICS chairmanship next year. We will provide all-round assistance to our Indian friends in their work on the current BRICS agenda.

Of course, I would also like to say that Russia and India have traditionally worked closely together in the military-technical sphere. Our country has been assisting the modernisation of the Indian army, including the air defence, air force and navy, for over 50 years.

Overall, we are certainly satisfied with the results of our talks. Our plans include a meeting with President of India Droupadi Murmu. However, I can already express my confidence that this visit and the agreements reached will effectively promote the further strengthening of the Russian-Indian strategic partnership for the benefit of the people of India and Russia.

Thank you.

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