Overview
- The Press Information Bureau called a Bloomberg headline claiming a freshly clinched $2 billion submarine deal misleading.
- Officials said no new agreement was signed and that the referenced nuclear-powered attack submarine lease stems from March 2019.
- Bloomberg had reported earlier that India was finalising the lease to coincide with President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi.
- Putin’s trip features talks on deepening defence and economic ties, with reports of roughly 10 inter-governmental pacts and 15 commercial deals under negotiation.
- Recent coverage highlights evolving defence cooperation, discussions on systems such as additional S-400 units and a major maintenance facility, and bilateral trade reported at $63.6 billion in 2024 largely driven by Russian oil.