Key Points
- Putin arrived in Delhi at approximately 4:30 pm on December 4, 2025, for his first visit in four years
- PM Modi accorded unprecedented personal welcome at Palam Airport, surprising the Kremlin which was not informed in advance
- The visit marks the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, coinciding with 25 years of India-Russia strategic partnership
- Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov ahead of summit
- Expected agenda includes defense production, military technology partnerships, BrahMos cooperation, and S-400 missile discussions
- Putin scheduled to visit Rajghat, receive ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, and meet President Droupadi Murmu on December 5
- Bilateral trade has risen to $63.6 billion in 2024, with cooperation planned in technology, mining, healthcare, and space exploration
- Russia reiterates support for India’s UNSC permanent seat bid amid global geopolitical shifts
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in New Delhi on a state visit spanning December 4,5, marking his first journey to India since the Ukraine war began in February 2022. In a remarkable display of diplomatic warmth and unprecedented protocol break, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was already stationed at Palam Airport to personally receive the Russian leader upon his arrival at approximately 4,30 pm on Thursday evening.
The two leaders exchanged a warm embrace at the tarmac, echoing the hospitality Putin extended to PM Modi during the latter’s Moscow visit in July 2024. Modi and Putin subsequently traveled together in the same official vehicle directly to the Prime Minister’s residence, where they shared a private dinner to mark the beginning of this strategically significant visit. This personal gesture from Modi surprised even the Kremlin, which stated it was not informed in advance about the Prime Minister’s presence at the airport, underscoring the spontaneous and cordial nature of the reception.
Historic Timing, First Visit After Ukraine Conflict
Putin’s visit to India assumes exceptional strategic importance as the first since the Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced in February 2022, a span of nearly four years since his last visit to New Delhi in December 2021. The timing of this high-profile bilateral engagement arrives amid intense diplomatic pressures, with the Trump administration actively engaging both Russia and Ukraine on conflict resolution while simultaneously pressuring India to curtail its purchases of Russian oil.
Exceptionally strict diplomatic, security, and logistical preparations have been implemented across New Delhi to ensure the smooth conduct of this sensitive state visit. Welcome banners and Russian flags have been strategically erected in several areas of the capital city, while comprehensive traffic route changes and security cordons have already been put into effect at key locations along the presidential routes. The extraordinary security measures underscore the geopolitical sensitivities surrounding this visit.
#WATCH | Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Delhi; Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives him at the airport
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2025
President Putin is on a two-day State visit to India. He will hold the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit with PM Narendra Modi in Delhi on December 5
(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/wFcL9of7Eg
Defense Cooperation Takes Center Stage Before Summit
Even before President Putin’s formal arrival in New Delhi, bilateral discussions on defense cooperation commenced at the highest levels. India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held strategic talks with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov on December 3, 2025, an important pre-summit coordination meeting designed to strengthen bilateral defense frameworks ahead of the main summit discussions.
These pre-summit defense discussions are anticipated to cover extensive ground on critical areas of mutual interest, including advanced military technology partnerships, joint defense production initiatives, logistics cooperation frameworks, and upcoming strategic defense projects. The coordination between India and Russia’s defense establishments ahead of Putin’s visit underscores the strategic significance of defense cooperation as a cornerstone of the broader bilateral relationship. According to the Kremlin, the potential sale of additional S-400 long-range anti-aircraft missiles could feature prominently on the agenda during the bilateral discussions.
23rd India-Russia Annual Summit Marks Quarter-Century Partnership
President Putin’s state visit coincides with the momentous 25th anniversary of India-Russia strategic partnership relations, commemorating the foundational agreement signed between then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Putin in 2000. The 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit represents a comprehensive review of bilateral achievements and a forward-looking roadmap for strengthening the partnership during a period of significant global geopolitical transformation.
This summit comes at a critical juncture in international relations, with India seeking to maintain strategic autonomy while strengthening ties with Russia despite global sanctions and Western pressure. The visit will provide an opportunity for both leaders to outline a vision for deepening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Comprehensive Summit Agenda and Expected Outcomes
On December 5, Putin’s schedule includes a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan beginning at 11,00 am, followed by a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at Rajghat at 11,30 am, honoring India’s independence struggle and founding father Mahatma Gandhi. The main bilateral summit talks will commence at 11,50 am at Hyderabad House, with joint press statements scheduled for 1,50 pm following substantive discussions on defense, trade, and strategic cooperation.
The summit is expected to produce multiple agreements and outcomes, including the Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030. Key focus areas include boosting defense ties, insulating India-Russia trade from external pressures, exploring cooperation on small modular reactors for nuclear energy, and expanding cooperation in technology, mining, healthcare, space exploration, transport, and labor mobility.
Defense Production and Military Technology Partnerships
India-Russia defense cooperation has matured into a comprehensive strategic partnership blending historical legacy with advanced military collaboration. The two nations jointly produce T-90 tanks, Su-30MKI aircraft, MiG-29K aircraft, Kamov-31 helicopters, and undertake upgrades of MiG-29 jets at domestic facilities. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile stands out as a flagship joint platform, exemplifying successful indigenous development and production under the Make in India initiative.
During the summit, discussions are expected to focus on upgrades to air defense systems, joint research and development in hypersonic systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and aircraft engines. The establishment of joint maintenance and repair overhaul (MRO) hubs represents another significant agenda item designed to reduce dependency on external suppliers and minimize operational delays. Since approximately 60,70 percent of India’s defense equipment originates from Russian sources, maintaining robust defense ties remains strategically critical for operational readiness.
Business and Trade Expansion Amid Geopolitical Challenges
Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached $63.6 billion in 2024, reflecting the strengthening economic dimension of the partnership despite global sanctions on Russia and Western pressure on India. Both nations are focused on deepening partnership across multiple sectors including technology, mining, healthcare, space exploration, transport, and labor mobility.
A joint business event organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Roscongress is scheduled for 3,40 pm at Bharat Mandapam, providing a platform for Indian and Russian business leaders to explore emerging partnership opportunities. Additionally, President Putin will participate in the official launch of the RT TV channel in India, signaling both nations’ commitment to strengthening cultural and media cooperation.
Global Geopolitics and Strategic Autonomy
India’s reception of President Putin at the highest diplomatic levels underscores New Delhi’s commitment to maintaining strategic autonomy and balanced ties across major powers, including the United States, Europe, Russia, and the Global South. Throughout the summit, India is expected to reiterate its long-standing position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict while emphasizing the importance of dialogue and peaceful resolution.
Russia continues to demonstrate support for India’s bid for permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council, an important strategic backing in India’s quest for greater global recognition and influence. The summit represents an opportunity for both nations to demonstrate their resilience in bilateral cooperation amid shifting global geopolitical currents and to chart a course for sustained partnership through 2030 and beyond.
Concluding Ceremonial Events and Departure
The formal ceremonial aspects of the visit will conclude with President Droupadi Murmu hosting a state banquet in Putin’s honor in the evening, a symbolic gesture reaffirming India’s respect and commitment to the Russian leadership. Following the state banquet and formal ceremonies, President Putin is scheduled to depart from New Delhi at approximately 9,00 pm on December 5, 2025, concluding his nearly 28-hour state visit to India.
This two-day visit, though relatively brief in duration, carries immense strategic significance for both nations, reinforcing their commitment to the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership and demonstrating their mutual resolve to navigate complex global geopolitical challenges through sustained bilateral engagement and cooperation.
