Overview

• At the Valdai forum, Putin said Russia will present India with practical proposals to boost commerce, focusing on logistics, financing and payment channels.
• He cited roughly $63 billion in bilateral trade and acknowledged a persistent imbalance that both sides aim to address.
• Possible mechanisms he outlined include BRICS instruments, settlements in local or third-country currencies and electronic payment schemes.
• Putin endorsed creating an India–Russia technological fund to spur cooperation in high tech, including AI and cybersecurity, emphasizing direct company-to-company work under state regulation.
• He reaffirmed close security ties and policy coordination with New Delhi and said he expects to visit India in early December.