Putin begins India trip with Modi welcome and private dinner ahead of key summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin at New Delhi’s Palam airport as the Russian leader began a nearly 27-hour visit aimed at strengthening an eight-decade partnership that has remained steady through major geopolitical shifts.

Modi received Putin with a hug as artistes performed traditional dances at the airport. From there, the two leaders travelled together to the prime minister’s official residence, almost three months after Modi rode with Putin in his vehicle in Tianjin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

“Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. Looking forward to our interactions later this evening and tomorrow. India-Russia friendship is a time tested one that has greatly benefited our people,” the prime minister said on social media.

Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. Looking forward to our interactions later this evening and tomorrow. India-Russia friendship is a time tested one that has greatly benefitted our people.@KremlinRussia_E pic.twitter.com/L7IORzRfV9

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 4, 2025

In the evening, Modi hosted a private dinner for Putin, mirroring the hospitality extended to him during his visit to Moscow in July last year. The residence was decorated with bright lights and flowers for the occasion. The conversation at the dinner is expected to set the tone for Friday’s 23rd India-Russia summit, which is likely to produce a range of outcomes aimed at broadbasing ties.

Defence cooperation, efforts to shield bilateral trade from external pressure and discussions on small modular reactors are expected to be central to the summit agenda. The meeting is being closely watched by Western capitals. The visit comes amid a rapid downturn in India-US relations.

Several agreements, including in trade, are likely to be signed after the summit. On Friday, Putin will receive a ceremonial welcome and tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan before visiting Raj Ghat to pay homage at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

The two leaders will then hold restricted and delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House, the summit venue. Modi and Putin will also attend a business event jointly organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Roscongress at Bharat Mandapam. In the evening, President Droupadi Murmu will host a state banquet for Putin, who is expected to depart India at around 9 pm.

India is expected to raise concerns over the widening trade deficit driven by high crude oil imports from Russia. India procures around USD 65 billion worth of goods and services annually from Russia, while Indian exports stand at about USD 5 billion. Officials said New Delhi is aiming to expand exports in pharma, agriculture, food products and consumer goods, and is also looking to deepen cooperation in the fertiliser sector, with Russia supplying three to four million tonnes of fertilisers to India each year.

The summit comes at a difficult moment in India-US ties, marked by Washington’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent levy linked to India’s procurement of Russian crude oil. The impact of American sanctions on India’s oil purchases is expected to be discussed. On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said India’s crude oil imports from Russia may dip briefly because of Western sanctions, but added that Moscow is taking steps to enhance supplies.

Putin is also expected to brief Modi on the latest diplomatic efforts by the US on the Ukraine conflict. India has maintained that dialogue and diplomacy remain the way forward.

Following the leaders’ talks, agreements are expected in several areas, including on facilitating the movement of Indian workers to Russia and providing logistical support under a defence cooperation framework. The two sides are also likely to take stock of discussions on India’s proposed free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

Ahead of the summit, the defence ministers of both countries held wide-ranging talks on Thursday, focusing on India’s plan to acquire additional S-400 missile systems and other key military hardware. The S-400 missile systems were used during Operation Sindoor. India signed a USD 5 billion deal in October 2018 to procure five units of the S-400 system, despite US warnings of possible sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Peskov said discussions may also include the potential supply of Su-57 fighter jets to India, which is acquiring a batch of fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The main contenders are Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, Lockheed Martin’s F-21, Boeing’s F/A-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Energy cooperation is set to be another major focus area. Russia has offered India additional discounts on crude oil purchases after volumes dipped in recent weeks following new US sanctions on two Russian oil producers.

India and Russia hold annual summit meetings between the prime minister and the president to review the full spectrum of ties. Twenty-two such summits have been held so far. Putin last visited New Delhi in 2021, while Modi travelled to Moscow in July last year. Russia remains a long-standing partner and a central pillar of India’s foreign policy.