When & What: The Visit and Meeting?
Putin will visit India on 4–5 December 2025, for the 23rd annual India–Russia Annual Summit.
The visit arises from an invitation by PM Modi.
During the visit, Putin will hold bilateral talks with Modi. Additionally, the President of India (Droupadi Murmu) will receive him and host a banquet in his honour.
The governments describe this as a “state visit” — more than a routine meeting — signalling its importance.
🎯 What’s on the Agenda — What They Will Likely Discuss?
The summit & bilateral talks are expected to cover a wide array of topics:
Review of bilateral relations: The two sides aim to assess the progress to date and chart a roadmap for strengthening their “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.”
Defence cooperation & deals: A key expected outcome is that India may ask Russia for additional units of the S-400 Triumf air-defence system — possibly five more squadrons — to enhance its air defence capabilities.
Strategic global/regional issues: Given changing geopolitics (e.g. the conflict in Ukraine, global energy markets, sanctions, etc.), leaders will likely discuss global security, energy cooperation, and world-order issues.
Economic, trade, and cooperation beyond defence: The summit may cover broader economic cooperation, trade, energy, and perhaps labour or other long-term bilateral cooperation frameworks.
🔎 Why It Matters — Strategic Importance?
This will be Putin’s first visit to India since December 2021 — i.e. first after the start of the Russia–Ukraine war.
The visit comes at a time of international pressure and changing global alignments (especially Western sanctions on Russia) — making renewal and reinforcement of India–Russia ties geopolitically significant.
Defence deals (like more S-400 systems) will likely deepen India’s military capabilities and continue its longstanding security-oriented cooperation with Russia.
Strengthening cooperation could also have economic and diplomatic ripple effects: energy supplies, trade diversification, and foreign-policy leverage for India.
