Putin’s India Visit Highlights Strategic Balancing Act for Modi government
Newโค Delhi – December 4, 2025 – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit โฃto india is underway, presentingโ the Modi government with a delicate โคdiplomatic challenge as it navigates strengthening ties with Moscow amidst increasingโ Western pressureโข related to the ongoingโค war inโข Ukraine and sanctions. โฃThe โvisit is expected to โyield agreementsโข on laborโ mobility,defense cooperation,and nuclearโข energy projects,while also addressingโ concerns over U.S. sanctions impacting Indian trade.
the trip comes at a critical juncture, with โthe U.S. increasingly scrutinizing โขIndia’s โฃcontinued economic and โmilitary relationship โwith Russia. Both nations are pushing for progress on a Freeโ trade Agreementโฃ (FTA) between India andโข theโฃ Eurasian โEconomic Union (EAEU), even as Indian exporters grapple with 50% tariffs โขimposed by the U.S.
A key outcome of the visit is anticipated to be the announcement of an India-Russia labour mobilityโ agreement, described as the “centrepiece” โof Putin’s โขtrip. โขThisโฃ agreement aims โto facilitate the movement of โIndian skilled and semi-skilled workers to โRussia, which is facingโ a projected labour shortfall of approximately 3.1 million jobs by the end of theโ decade, especially inโ construction, technology, and manufacturing.
Defence cooperation remains a central โขelement of the India-Russia partnership. The visit is being โคcloselyโค watched for potential new defence deals, despite previous U.S. warnings of sanctions under โคthe Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act following India’s purchase of the S-400 air defence โsystem. Russia remains a crucial partner for India in technology transfer, โan area where other nations have been reluctant to share sensitive technologies. The russian Duma โคhas โฃrecently โapproved the RELOS military logisticsโข pact with โขIndia, โขperhaps โpaving the โฃway โฃfor increased joint militaryโข exercises,โ whichโค previously drew protests from the European Union.
Nuclear power cooperationโ is also on the agenda. India’s Department of Atomic Energy has reportedly held discussionsโ with โฃRussia’sโข Rosatom regarding India’s plans for five indigenous small modular reactors, alongside competing bids fromโ France and otherโ EU memberโข states.