Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled for a state visit to India on December 4-5, 2025, to attend the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This visit is Putin's first to India since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and is expected to strengthen defence and trade ties between the two countries.

Several important agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are anticipated to be signed, spanning sectors such as defence, trade, science, technology, and culture.

The summit will provide a platform for Modi and Putin to review progress in the "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. It holds considerable significance amid increased Western scrutiny, especially from the US and EU, as India balances its strategic partnerships without compromising ties with the West.

The visit will also be marked by a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, elevating this meeting to a formal state visit compared to Putin’s shorter visit in 2021 during the Covid wave.

Key discussions during the visit are expected to focus on defence collaborations like the acquisition of additional S-400 air defence systems and addressing the growing trade deficit with Russia.

A notable new agreement likely to be signed is a bilateral labour mobility pact aimed at regulating Indian skilled workers' legal migration to Russia, protecting their rights while expanding Indian manpower presence in Russian sectors such as construction, textiles, engineering, and electronics.

This summit also comes against a backdrop of Western pressures including US tariffs on India’s Russian oil imports, with India simultaneously negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US and preparing for an EU-India summit focused on trade and defence cooperation. India is calibrated to demonstrate through this meeting that while it values its Russia partnership, it seeks balanced and diversified international relations.

Putin’s visit, attended by top Indian leadership, will signal a reaffirmed and broad-based partnership encompassing political, economic, defence, technological, and cultural dimensions, consolidating decades of trust and cooperation between India and Russia.​

Based On ET News Report