Overview
- Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi will oversee the 23rd annual summit, with about 15 agreements and around ten documents slated for signing, including a joint statement and a 2030 economic cooperation program.
- Defense talks include negotiations to expand S-400 air-defense supplies, with India seeking delivery guarantees as reports cite delays into 2026, and Indian media report a possible Su-57 co‑production offer under discussion.
- Energy features prominently as leaders of Rosneft and Gazprom Neft join the delegation, and the Kremlin pitches mechanisms to shield bilateral trade from third‑party pressure while targeting roughly $100 billion in commerce.
- The visit follows heightened U.S. pressure, including a 50% tariff imposed in August by President Donald Trump on most Indian products over continued Russian oil purchases, and India’s offsetting step to buy 2.2 million tonnes of U.S. LNG.
- New Delhi aims to rebalance energy-heavy trade by opening the Russian market to Indian goods such as phones, shrimp, meat and garments, with agreements also expected in space cooperation, small modular reactors, shipbuilding and migration.