Priti Prakash
When Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi for the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit on December 4–5, 2025, the diplomatic choreography carried a clear message: the 25-year 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' between the two countries remains alive, evolving and ambitiously forward-looking. In the official communique, New Delhi and Moscow described their bond as one 'anchored in mutual trust' and rooted in 'respect for each other’s core national interests and strategic convergence.
For many analysts, however, the summit was less a nostalgic throwback and more a forward-looking recalibration — a deliberate effort to deepen economic, defence, energy and technological cooperation, even as geopolitical pressures mount.
At the centre of the renewed agenda: a bold push to turn a bilateral trade figure of roughly USD 68–69 billion (FY 2024–25) into USD 100 billion by 2030. Underlying this ambition are strategic moves such as adoption of a 'Programme 2030,' plans for deeper industrial cooperation, and negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) — pursuing a larger, diversified trade basket beyond fossil fuel imports.
As one strategic-affairs commentator told Sputnik India, 'The recipe for the elevation of India–Russia ties goes through trade and investment.
Still, substantial challenges remain. As observers at Chatham House note, the historical backbone of this partnership — cheap Russian oil — may not be as advantageous as before: past discounts are narrowing, and increasing Western pressure constrains profitability for India.
Beyond trade, the summit spotlighted sectors long considered the defining features of India–Russia relations. Defence cooperation remains central. The two countries agreed to shift further from a buyer–seller model to genuine co-development and co-production of advanced systems — aligning with India’s 'Make-in-India' push.
Energy cooperation, too, was reaffirmed in broad terms. From upstream oil and gas to LNG, petrochemicals, nuclear power and even Arctic energy possibilities, both sides underlined the intent to deepen cooperation — though timely resolution of investment-related concerns was emphasized.
On the technology front, analysts say the relationship is widening: cooperation is expected in emerging domains such as critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, nuclear fuel cycles, and potentially high-tech supply chains.
What stands out in the 2025 summit is not merely deepening ties but expanding horizons. Logistic links such as the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (CVMC) and interest in the Northern Sea Route promise to rewire India–Russia trade routes — shortening transit times, reducing dependence on traditional chokepoints, and tying together Arctic, Central Asian and South Asian geographies.
This evolution signals a broader strategic vision: one that seeks to expand cooperation beyond bilateral deals into a geoeconomic architecture that might also cushion both countries from global disruptions.
What the summit underscored, perhaps more than anything, is alignment in worldview. India and Russia reiterated their commitment to a multipolar world, advocating reform of global institutions and reinforcing cooperation under multilateral platforms such as the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the G20.
As one Chinese scholar quoted in media put it: this partnership remains highly strategic and extremely resilient to external pressure or interference.
For New Delhi, this means greater space to assert its foreign-policy autonomy without choosing sides — especially in a world where economic coercion, sanctions and geopolitical competition shape state behavior heavily.
But Skepticism Remains: Dependency, Imbalance, and CostsDespite renewed optimism, experts caution that swinging big deals comes with risks. As data shows, the bilateral trade balance remains heavily tilted in Russia’s favour — driven mainly by energy and defense imports.
Maintaining and expanding defence cooperation also carries complications: delays in deliveries due to Russia’s wartime priorities, shrinking Western tolerance of Russian arms flows, and India’s own ambition to diversify its defence imports could all complicate long-term procurement plans.
Similarly, while connectivity corridors offer strategic promise, building infrastructure across hostile climates, long distances, and navigating international sanctions remain serious challenges.
A Strategic Tightening — With Eyes OpenThe 2025 India–Russia summit in New Delhi may, at first glance, resemble a reaffirmation of a decades-old friendship. But deeper inspection shows a subtler shift: from nostalgia to strategic recalibration, from dependence to diversification, from isolated cooperation to integrated geoeconomic partnership.
As one analyst framed it to Sputnik, 'Expanding trade and investment is the recipe for elevation of this relationship.'
Yet, the true test lies ahead. Can Delhi and Moscow amid global volatility, financial fragmentation and competitive geostrategic pressures, convert summit declarations into stable, sustainable outcomes! That will determine whether this 'time-tested partnership' adapts and endures, or becomes another casualty of shifting global tides.
