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The Russian leader is beginning a two-day visit to India, where he is scheduled to meet PM Narendra Modi and take part in an yearly dialogue conducted by the two nations.

New Delhi and the Kremlin are poised to conclude a number of agreements during the meeting, which comes months after the Washington ramped up diplomatic pressure on India to stop buying Russian energy.

It also coincides with the US President administration conducting a series of talks with Russia and Ukraine in an effort to resolve the war.

India and Russia have been close allies for many years, and Putin and Modi have a productive rapport. Here is a look at why they both need each other – and what to watch for as they hold talks.

A Strategic Partnership, Commercial Pacts and International Dynamics

Why are relations with India key for the Russian leadership?

Well, for a start, consider the numbers:

• A demographic of close to a billion and a half.
• Economic growth exceeding 8%. India is the world's top-performing economic powerhouse.

That makes it a extremely attractive outlet for Russian products and exports – especially oil.

India is the world's third largest importer of crude oil and has been purchasing substantial amounts from Russia. That wasn't always the case. In the era preceding the Kremlin's comprehensive offensive of Ukraine, a mere 2.5% of India's oil purchases were from Russia.

That figure jumped to 35% as India took advantage of Russian cheaper rates prompted by restrictions against Moscow and Russia's curtailed entry to the European market.

India was pleased. Washington was not.

In October, the Trump administration slapped an further 25% tax on Indian exports, arguing that by buying oil from Russia, India was assisting in finance the Kremlin's war chest. Imports from India for Russian oil have fallen since then. President Putin will be eager for India to continue purchasing.

For Moscow, arms transfers to India are a further priority and have been since the Cold War. Ahead of Putin's visit, there were reports that India plans to buy cutting-edge Russian fighter jets and missile defence systems.

Russia, hit by a labour crisis, also regards India as a important source of skilled workers.

But there's geopolitics at play, too.

The Kremlin enjoys showing that US and European attempts to isolate it over the war in Ukraine have failed.

Traveling to India and holding talks with Prime Minister Modi is a means of achieving this.

So is going to China and meeting with Xi Jinping, as Putin did recently. He conferred with Modi on the same trip. The photograph of the three leaders in conversation with each other conveyed a powerful message that, regardless of the war in Ukraine, Moscow has influential allies who endorse the notion of a "multi-polar world".

Russia champions its "boundless partnership" with China.

It is equally emphatic about its "special and privileged strategic partnership" with India.

That is a stark contrast to Moscow's tense ties with the EU.

"I think the Kremlin is certain that the West, even Europe, completely failed," believes political analyst Andrei Kolesnikov.

"We are not isolated, because we have connections to Asia and the non-Western nations. Economically, this is the future. In that sense Russia has come back as the main actor in these parts of the globe, similar to the Soviet Union."

This week, though, anticipate to hear about Russia-India friendship, commercial pacts and enhanced commercial collaboration between Moscow and Delhi.

Test of Modi's Balancing Act

Putin's visit to Delhi is taking place at a crucial time for Modi and India's global ambitions.

India-Russia links go back to the Soviet era and have endured despite the evolving international landscape.

Putin has likely put increased effort and focus into this relationship than other Russian leaders before him.

As for Modi, even after coming under considerable diplomatic pressure from US and European governments to condemn Russia over its war in Ukraine, he stated that negotiations was the sole way to settle the war.

This was India's "sovereign decision-making" being exercised – with Modi holding a particular place in the global hierarchy where he cultivated strong ties with Moscow while maintaining his rapport with the West concurrently.

That worked – until Trump came back to the White House. India-US ties have plunged to an historic low in the past few months as the two countries have not managed to resolve the duty deadlock.

In this situation, Putin's visit assumes increased weight for Modi than ever before because it will test India's strategic independence. He will be walking the diplomatic fine line here.

Modi would want to prove voters at home and in the global stage that he still views Putin as his ally and hasn't given into influence from Trump, whom he has previously called his "good friend".

But he has also faced scrutiny from his friends in Europe – just this week, the German, French and UK ambassadors in India wrote a rare co-authored column in a leading newspaper criticising Russia's stance on Ukraine.

And so, Modi will have to make sure that the strengthening of India-Russia ties does not detract from continuing trade talks with the US and his relationship with Europe.

"For India, the task is strategic balance – safeguarding autonomy while navigating influence from Washington and dependence on Moscow," said a local think-tank.

Modi's further goal will be to realize the full capacity of economic exchange between India and Russia.

Observers have frequently said that the commercial ties between the two longtime friends has not lived up to expectations for decades.

Their two-way commerce jumped to $68.72bn at the end of March 2025, up from {just