October 4, 2025

Get ready for some sizzling India-Russia trade talks! Russian President Vladimir Putin is all set to shake things up by ordering new measures to fix Russia’s trade imbalance with India. Why? Because Russia is buying a huge amount of crude oil from India, and now Putin wants to return the favor by purchasing more Indian agricultural products and medicines. He shared this spicy update at the Valdai plenary session on Thursday, setting the stage for his big visit to India in early December. Putin expressed warm vibes about his upcoming India trip and meeting with “my friend and our reliable partner Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi.” He described Modi as a “balanced, wise,” and “nationally oriented” leader, showing that their friendship runs deep. What about US pressure? When asked about America’s threat to slap heavy tariffs and sanctions on Russia’s top partners, Putin fired back, saying the Indian people won’t tolerate bullying. "(India) will never allow itself to be humiliated by anyone. I know Prime Minister Modi, he will also not make any such decisions," he said. That’s some serious backing for India’s stand! Putin pointed out that India faces extra US tariffs—25% on Russian oil, totaling a whopping 50%—but he believes these losses will balance out with more crude imports from Russia. Plus, he says, India will win big as a proud, sovereign nation. Digging into the trade details, Putin said Russia may buy more agricultural products and medicines from India to even out the trade books. He had already told the Russian government to come up with clever ideas for cooperation to smooth out trade and boost other areas. Though Russia and India have a trade turnover of around USD 63 billion, Putin compared it with Belarus’s USD 50 billion, saying the India figure doesn’t match its massive population of 1.5 billion. There’s a lot more potential to tap! He stressed the need to address issues like financing, logistics, and payment systems to unlock this treasure chest. On the friendly front, Putin proudly said Russia and India “never had any problems or interstate tensions.” Their bond is steeped in history, going back to the Soviet days when India fought hard for independence. He applauded India for remembering and valuing that past. The special strategic partnership between the two countries will soon hit 15 years, and Putin confirmed, “That's what it really is.” Politically, Russia and India almost always work in sync, with close cooperation between their foreign ministries. Adding more spice to their collaboration, Putin welcomed the idea of a joint fund to advance AI and hi-tech, proposed by Dr Arvind Gupta of the Vivekananda International Foundation during the Sochi forum. All this came out at the international Valdai discussion forum in Sochi, where experts from 140 countries, including India, gathered to talk security and geopolitics. Looks like the India-Russia friendship is not just warm—it’s on fire with exciting new plans!

Read More at Economictimes →

Tags: Vladimir putin, India-russia trade, Narendra modi, Us tariffs, Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals,