News Brief
India Prepares For Russian President Putin’s First Visit Since 2021, Venues Beyond Delhi Under Review: Report
PM Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 16th BRICS Summit
India is gearing up for a significant diplomatic engagement as Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit in the first week of December, between 4 and 6 December, Indian Express reported, citing sources.
This will be Putin’s first visit to India since 2021 and his first foreign trip to New Delhi since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, making it a closely watched event both in India and abroad.
Unlike past summits that were largely centred in the national capital, the government is considering a change of setting.
Jaipur, Agra, and Goa are reportedly under evaluation to host the Russian leader, reflecting New Delhi’s effort to give the visit a distinctive backdrop.
Such a move would also project India’s cultural heritage and tourism potential, while symbolically underlining that ties with Russia extend beyond the formal walls of South Block.
To set the stage, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected in India in November to prepare the groundwork for Putin's India visit.
The December engagement will mark the 23rd annual India-Russia bilateral summit, part of a tradition that began in 2000 and has alternated between Moscow and New Delhi.
The last summit was held in Moscow in July 2024, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Putin.
At that time, the leaders reaffirmed cooperation in defence, energy, and financial sectors. Modi also confirmed during their 1 September meeting in Tianjin that India would host Putin this year.
Speaking then, Modi said: “We’ve been in constant touch. There have also been many high-level meetings between the two sides regularly. 140 crore Indians are eagerly waiting to welcome you for our 23rd summit in December this year".
The United States recently imposed a 25 per cent additional tariff on Indian imports linked to Russian oil, singling out New Delhi despite China and European countries continuing similar purchases.
This raised the total US tariffs on Indian good imports to 50 per cent.
Moscow has backed India’s sovereign right to choose its energy partners, while India has argued that its decisions are guided by energy security and affordability.
The issue is expected to be a central talking point in December, alongside traditional defence and technology cooperation.
Beyond the geopolitical backdrop, the Modi-Putin relationship has repeatedly drawn attention.
In Tianjin, the two leaders were seen sharing a car ride, spending nearly an hour together before their official bilateral meeting.
That symbolism was reinforced on 17 September, when Putin personally called PM Modi to wish him on his 75th birthday — their third phone conversation since August.
This frequency of engagement underscores the weight Moscow attaches to its relationship with India, even as the global environment grows more complex.
