Modi, Putin review defence, trade and energy ties as industrial cooperation gains ground

New Delhi: The prime minister, Narendra Modi, met the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in New Delhi on Friday and reviewed progress across political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to-people ties on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit. It was their second meeting this year after talks in Bishkek on August 31 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region, which have affected maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers. Modi reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy remained the way forward in resolving conflicts and said New Delhi stood ready to assist in peace efforts.

Modi and Putin also reviewed India-Russia engagement in multilateral forums, particularly BRICS under India’s 2026 chairship. Both sides agreed to remain engaged in further strengthening the special and privileged strategic partnership, which has continued to grow and shown resilience despite wider geopolitical uncertainties.

The meeting also highlighted growing industrial cooperation. The leaders welcomed the first edition of Russia’s International Industrial Exhibition, Innoprom India, held from September 9 to 11, and underlined its potential to expand bilateral trade and industrial ties. Modi and Putin also visited the exhibition and interacted with participants.

Defence agenda stays active

No fresh defence agreement was announced after Friday’s meeting, but military-technical cooperation remains one of the central pillars of the relationship. Ahead of the bilateral, Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia’s proposed sale of the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter remained on the agenda, while India’s interest in access to relevant production technologies was also under discussion.

Peskov had also said Moscow would fulfil its remaining obligations under India’s S-400 air-defence contract. India and Russia continue to cooperate through established programmes including Brahmos, while the relationship has increasingly emphasized co-production, localization and technology partnerships rather than a purely buyer-seller arrangement.

RNA Media had earlier reported that proposed Su-57 cooperation, possible access to production technologies and wider defence ties were expected to feature in the Modi-Putin discussions. No Su-57 purchase or technology-transfer arrangement has been officially announced.

Trade push seeks greater balance

Bilateral trade stands at around $60 billion, with both countries targeting $100 billion by 2030. New Delhi is seeking stronger Indian exports and a broader commercial relationship beyond the energy trade that has driven much of the recent increase in bilateral commerce.

India is looking for greater Russian market access for pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, chemicals, textiles, food and marine products and auto components. The two sides are also pursuing investment and industrial cooperation in advanced manufacturing, railways, steel, mining, critical minerals and emerging technologies, with 40 live projects being tracked under their bilateral investment mechanism.

Reuters reported that Friday’s discussions covered trade, energy and defence as well as civil nuclear cooperation, fertilizers, manufacturing, railways, steel and critical minerals. The wider agenda reflects an effort to diversify economic ties and reduce the imbalance created by India’s substantially higher imports from Russia.

The latest talks also built on the 27th India-Russia inter-governmental commission on trade, economic and cultural matters, held in Moscow on August 24. Modi and Putin had welcomed its outcome during their Bishkek meeting as both sides sought to widen trade and investment cooperation.

RNA Media had earlier reported that India and Russia were seeking to expand cooperation in trade, energy, fertilizers and civil nuclear energy while addressing the persistent imbalance in bilateral commerce.

Energy, space and mobility ties

Russian crude oil and fertilizer supplies remain important components of bilateral economic ties, while civil nuclear cooperation continues around the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. The two countries have also discussed further Russian-designed nuclear projects, localization and joint manufacturing of equipment.

Space remains another established area of cooperation, with human spaceflight, satellite navigation and planetary exploration among the areas identified for collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organization and Roscosmos. Skill mobility, education, tourism, cultural exchanges and labour movement are also increasingly part of the wider bilateral framework.

Putin also invited Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit. Modi accepted the invitation, with the dates to be finalized through diplomatic channels, keeping the high-level engagement on course beyond the New Delhi BRICS meeting.