PM Modi Welcomes ‘Friend’ Putin to India as 23rd Annual Summit Kicks Off Amid Renewed Defence and Trade Push
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm welcome to Russian President Vladimir Putin upon his arrival in the national capital this evening, heralding the start of a high-stakes two-day state visit that underscores the enduring “special and privileged strategic partnership” between India and Russia.
“Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. Looking forward to our interactions later this evening and tomorrow. India-Russia friendship is a time-tested one that has greatly benefitted our people,” PM Modi posted on X, sharing images of the two leaders being driven together from Palam Airport to the Prime Minister’s residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
President Putin, landing at Delhi’s Palam Airport amid tight security, was received by PM Modi in a reciprocal gesture to the intimate dinner hosted for the Indian leader during his Moscow visit in July 2024. The evening’s private dinner at the PM’s residence set the tone for tomorrow’s formal engagements, including the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit – Putin’s first official trip to India in four years since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The visit, at the invitation of PM Modi, comes on the heels of the 22nd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) co-chaired earlier today by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov. That meeting reaffirmed mutual trust and opened doors for deeper collaboration in niche technologies, with Russia pledging support for India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat drive in defence production.
On Friday, December 5, the agenda intensifies: President Putin will receive a ceremonial guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu at 11:00 AM, followed by a wreath-laying at Rajghat to honour Mahatma Gandhi. The centerpiece will be bilateral talks with PM Modi at Hyderabad House, focusing on bolstering trade (now settled largely in rupees), energy exports, defence deals like S-400 systems and fighter jets, and new pacts in health, agriculture, space, and media. Several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected, alongside a joint address at the India-Russia Business Forum at Bharat Mandapam. The day will culminate in a state banquet hosted by President Murmu, before Putin departs later that night after a whirlwind 30-hour stay.
Accompanied by a high-powered delegation including seven senior ministers – such as Defence Minister Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina – along with CEOs from Rosneft, GazpromNeft, Sberbank, and Rosoboronexport, Putin’s visit signals Moscow’s intent to counter Western isolation by deepening ties with New Delhi, its top oil buyer despite U.S. pressures. Analysts view it as a diplomatic tightrope for India, balancing relations with its largest arms supplier against growing U.S. trade dependencies, especially amid Donald Trump’s re-election and escalating tariffs.
As preparations peaked across the city – from “Welcome Putin” hoardings in Amritsar to a friendship march in Varanasi – the summit arrives at a geopolitically charged moment, with discussions likely touching on Ukraine peace efforts, countering China’s influence, and easing Indian worker migration to Russia. With bilateral trade surging post-sanctions, this rendezvous reaffirms a friendship forged in the Soviet era, now adapting to a multipolar world.
