By Kalinga Seneviratne
BANGKOK, Thailand | 8 Dec 2025 (IDN)– By unveiling an ambitious Economic Cooperation Program aimed at expanding bilateral trade and investment till 2030, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a clear message to the US President Donald Trump that India-Russia relations are iron-clad, no matter what he wants.
This deep-rooted relationship between the two countries, going back to the Soviet Union era, has endured global challenges over the years, and today it’s entering a bold new era. Modi even broke protocol to greet the visiting Russian President on the red carpet at Delhi airport, sending a visual image to the world that a new global order is emerging and that it will not be dictated from Washington.
“Over the past eight decades, the world has witnessed numerous ups and downs. Amidst all this, the India-Russia friendship has remained steadfast like a pole star,” PM Modi said in an address during a Russia-India cooperation forum during Putin’s two-day visit from 4th to 5th December. He added that the relationship is “rooted in mutual respect and deep trust” and has “always stood the test of time.” Modi highlighted that the Economic Cooperation Program is designed to diversify, balance, and make trade and investment sustainable. “Both sides are working towards the early conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union,” Modi also added.
The two leaders witnessed the signing of multiple agreements that included Russia’s assurance to India of uninterrupted fuel shipments; the establishment of an Indian urea plant in Russia; agreements on setting up an India-Russia consumer protection body; fostering collaboration in medical sciences and healthcare; a MOU to strengthen collaboration in maritime logistics; and a migration and mobility agreement between the two countries. In addition, India and Russia also signed deals for collaboration in Arctic research and the construction of floating nuclear power plants.
“Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and everything that is required for the development of India’s energy,” Putin told Modi, during the summit. Even though there has been some reductions in the import of Russian oil under pressure from Trump’s tariffs, yet, Russia accounts for about 32% of India’s total oil imports in value and volume.
Speaking on his Republic TV channel, India’s popular current affairs analyst and anchor, Arnab Goswani noted, “Modi and Putin are two world leaders who have stood up for national interests, and they have said nation first”. He praised Modi for stepping forward and refusing to give in to pressure from America.
“America is putting huge sanctions against India but Narendra Modi and India have made it very clear to America that a 70-year partnership with Russia will not be sacrificed for a few months of Trump’s pressure,” says Goswani. “The West realizes how important this relationship is”.
“Russia also needs India. Russia needs a big partner, a solid partner other than China. Russia cannot afford to fall back on China every time. Moscow cannot afford total dependence on Beijing”, argues Goswani. “A stronger India-Russia commercial link is very good from Putin’s point of view as well. Therefore, this is a win-win on both sides”.
According to a joint statement issued after the India–Russia summit held on December 5, India and Russia have agreed to institutionalise regular bilateral consultations on Arctic-related matters. India formally entered Arctic scientific research in the 2000s, when it launched its first expedition to the region and established Himadri, its permanent research station in Svalbard. Since then, Indian scientists have focused on glaciology, monitoring Arctic glacier mass balance and comparing those findings with Himalayan glacier systems. More than 25 Indian universities are involved in Arctic research.
Beyond Arctic cooperation, India and Russia agreed to deepen collaboration in the nuclear energy sector. Technical and commercial talks on Russia’s VVER nuclear reactor technology are to be expedited, covering design collaboration, research, and potential joint development of future nuclear projects.
Unilateral financial sanctions imposed by the West have seriously impacted the trading relationship between India and Russia. Thus, in the joint statement after the leaders’ summit, India and Russia said that they have agreed to “continue jointly developing systems of bilateral settlements through the use of national currencies to ensure the uninterrupted maintenance of bilateral trade”.
In the defence sector, India and Russia agreed to encourage joint manufacturing of spare parts, components, and equipment for Russian-origin defence systems under the Make-in-India initiative. This includes technology transfer and the establishment of joint ventures to support both Indian military requirements and exports to friendly third countries.
India’s internationally known current affairs anchor Palki Sharma of Firstpost argues that 3 important things came out for India from the Putin-Modi summit. First, “India showed a strong display of strategic autonomy”. Secondly, it opens doors to new frontiers like Central Asia and the Arctic. “India is used to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, but Russia will help Indian sailors adapt to the cold Arctic. It will expand India’s footprint to new areas,” argues Sharma. The third is a reminder of Russia’s reliability. “They condemned the Pahelgam (terrorist) attack (in Kashmir) in the joint statement. They promised uninterrupted oil supply, and they promised to reduce the trade surplus with India. These are all signs of a reliable partner”, she notes. “They do not weaponize trade or energy. They seek cooperation”.
Sharma also argues that a close Russia-India alliance could help to keep any future Chinese hegemony in the region at bay.
Opposition Congress party member and former Under-Secretary for Information at the United Nations, Dr Shashi Tharoor, told NDTV after attending the dinner hosted by the Indian President for Putin that America needs to learn to respect other countries’ national interests and strategic autonomy.
“Trump doesn’t care what we think of his relations with China, and he’s been tweeting about G2 and so on. I think we have to respect his right to have the kind of relationship he wants. And similarly, he has to respect our right to have relations with the countries that matter to us,” he noted, adding, “Russia has been a crucial relationship. And I think this visit is in many ways a symbol of continuity. And at the same time, I think it’s an affirmation of our sovereign autonomy in a turbulent and fractured world”.