Here are the 10 takeaways
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Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Delhi around 6:35 pm on Thursday, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted him with a warm hug and a firm handshake at Palam airport before both leaders left together in the PM’s car.
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The informal carpool ride — rather than separate motorcades — was a deliberate show of personal rapport, mirroring other moments when Modi has used optics to signal closeness with strategic partners.
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Modi will host Putin for a private dinner at his decorated official residence on Thursday night, a reciprocal gesture to the hospitality shown by the Russian leader during Modi’s Moscow visit in July 2024.
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On Friday, Putin will receive a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, followed by summit talks and a working lunch at Hyderabad House — the traditional venue for India’s highest-level diplomatic engagements.
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Putin will lay a wreath at Rajghat in the morning to pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi, a symbolic gesture often made by visiting heads of state.
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The Russian leader is travelling with a large business delegation, and India hopes to reduce the current $59 billion trade imbalance driven largely by discounted Russian crude purchases.
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Talks will focus on defence, energy and trade, with multiple agreements expected in shipping, healthcare, fertilisers, connectivity and technology cooperation.
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Defence ministers of both countries discussed India’s pending S-400 deliveries and Moscow’s offer to supply Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets, putting Russia in competition with Western suppliers including Rafale, F-21 and Eurofighter.
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Putin told India Today that Russia plans cooperation with India in “cutting-edge technology, space exploration and nuclear energy,” adding: “India is a great power, not a British colony. Everyone will have to accept that.”
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Delhi Police have deployed over 5,000 personnel, snipers on rooftops, anti-drone systems and high-definition CCTV coverage in central Delhi as layered security surrounds the two-day visit.
The visit will test New Delhi’s strategic balancing as it navigates competing expectations from Moscow, Washington and NATO on the Ukraine conflict, while seeking to deepen economic cooperation with Russia.
A Senior Associate Editor with more than 30 years in the media, Stephen N.R. curates, edits and publishes impactful stories for Gulf News — both in print and online — focusing on Middle East politics, student issues and explainers on global topics.
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