Putin’s India Visit 2025 After Three Years; Defence Tech Talks Likely to Dominate

Key Points:

Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in India on December 4 and 5, 2025, for a two-day Annual Summit, the 23rd in the series. His visit carries weight not just because it’s his first trip to New Delhi since the Russia–Ukraine war began, but also because it comes at a moment when global politics is shifting quickly. Defence cooperation between the two countries is expected to dominate the talks, especially Russia’s new proposal to supply India with two to three additional S-400 air-defence regiments, known here as the Sudarshan Chakra.

See Also: Did Vladimir Putin Bring a ‘Poop Suitcase’ to the Trump-Putin Alaska Summit?

The meeting comes at a time when India has been slowly diversifying its defence suppliers, yet a large part of its military hardware—nearly 60–70%—still comes from Russia. To reinforce that relationship, Moscow has proposed up to 50% technology transfer for the S-400 missile system and its support equipment. This could allow Indian companies, possibly including Bharat Dynamics Limited, to take on a bigger role in assembling components and speeding up production of the 48N6 missile, which India recently cleared for domestic manufacturing. Officials say Russia’s defence major Rostec has already begun preliminary discussions and assured India of timely delivery—an issue that has worried New Delhi in recent years due to delays linked to the Ukraine conflict.

For India, the S-400 is more than another defence acquisition—it has become a crucial piece of the country’s air-defence network. During Operation Sindoor in May 2025, an S-400 unit in Adampur reportedly shot down a Pakistani aircraft from an astonishing distance of 314 kilometres. The Indian Air Force has also said the system helped neutralise seven Pakistani aircraft and track more than 300 airborne targets. Its ability to be battle-ready within minutes makes it a strategically powerful asset. With deployments along both the China and Pakistan borders, the S-400 has added an important layer of security to India’s defence grid.

Under the original USD 5.43-billion contract, India was supposed to receive five S-400 regiments. Three have already been delivered, while the remaining two are expected by early to mid-2026. Any new agreement will almost certainly focus on guaranteed delivery timelines, stronger maintenance support, and greater local production to reduce long-term costs.

See Also: Putin's Pipe Dream? Why China And Russia Are Still Unlikely To Build The Power of Siberia-2

Putin’s visit also comes at a time when Russia’s share in India’s defence imports is shrinking. According to a SIPRI report, Russian-origin equipment made up 76% of India’s defence imports in 2009; by 2024, that number had fallen to 36%. This change reflects India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat push and its growing defence relationships with countries like the U.S. and France. Still, India and Russia maintain one of the world’s most enduring strategic defence partnerships.

Beyond defence, energy and trade are expected to be key talking points. Russia is keen to increase its sales of crude oil, fighter jets, and missile systems to India as it faces Western sanctions. On the other hand, India’s imports of Russian crude have fallen to a three-year low as it diversifies toward U.S. oil and gas. New Delhi is also treading carefully regarding how U.S. President Donald Trump might respond—he recently doubled tariffs on Indian goods, openly linking the move to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. With these topics, the meeting is likely to become a major point of discussion and may further strengthen India–Russia relations.

[Rh]

Suggested Reading: