Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint statement presentation after their delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, December 5, 2025 | Photo credit: ADNAN ABIDI
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that as the economies of both countries progress, new areas of cooperation with India will emerge in sectors such as aviation, space exploration, high technology, AI and military technology.
“As our countries and economies progress, there are more opportunities for cooperation. We are opening new areas of cooperation, including areas related to high-tech, as well as cooperation in aircraft, space exploration and AI. We are rapidly developing our cooperation in military and technical fields. And we plan to make progress in all these areas,” Putin said on Friday during his summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Russian President also appreciated the “depth” of the substance of the India-Russia relationship and said it is rooted in a deep history.
One of the key areas of focus for the discussions between India and Russia during Putin’s visit is the existing trade imbalance and the need for Russia to import more from India to reduce the growing deficit.
India’s trade deficit with Russia widened to $59 billion in FY25 as the country imported goods, mainly crude oil and petroleum products, worth $63.8 billion from Moscow, while managing to export goods worth only $4.9 billion to the country.
On Thursday, a senior Russian official pointed out that the delegation of senior government officials and companies that accompanied Putin to India were visiting with a specific goal of increasing the supply of Indian goods and services. Automobiles, textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods, telecom equipment and agricultural and food products are some of the items that Russia wants to source more from India.
Putin said teams from both countries had done “great work” and prepared a large number of documents before the visit. “We have an opportunity to talk about some of those in detail,” he said.
Echoing Putin’s thoughts on trust and greater cooperation between the two countries, the Indian Prime Minister said the India-Russia relationship is a good example of the heights that bilateral ties can reach. “We want the economic relationship between India and Russia to expand and reach new heights. With such hopeful outcomes in mind, we will continue our meeting,” Modi said.
The two countries are working toward a goal of reaching $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, but India has made it clear that both sides need to make gains.
While the statements made no mention of US sanctions and tariffs affecting both countries, Modi expressed appreciation for Russia’s regular updates on the Ukraine crisis.
“After the crisis in Ukraine, we have had constant discussions. From time to time, you (Putin) have kept us informed like a true friend. I think trust is a great strength. And several times I have discussed this with you… we all have to look together for ways to achieve peace. Going by the recent efforts underway, I am sure the world will return towards peace,” Modi said.
Putin thanked Modi for his interest in the situation in Ukraine and his attempt at a solution.
“I have shared a large number of details about the events taking place in Ukraine. Thank you for your efforts to find a solution to the situation,” Putin said.
Published on December 5, 2025
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