Vladimir Putin’s forthcoming visit to India in December will be ‘extremely grand’ and ‘fruitful’, says the Kremlin
New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India in the first week of December for the annual India-Russia summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both nations are making grand plans across the spectrum — be it diplomacy, defense, trade, and investment.
According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forthcoming visit to India will be “extremely grand” and “fruitful”. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told VGTRK Russian State TV that India has been actively preparing for the visit.
“We and the Indian side are actively preparing for the visit and hope it will be fruitful in every sense. It will be an extremely grand (visit) because it’s even called a state visit,” Ushakov said in the interview.
“The visit provides an opportunity to put into practice the agreement between the prime minister of India and the Russian president that they will meet annually for a thorough discussion on both bilateral affairs and current international issues,” Ushakov added.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently met the Russian President in the Kremlin and apprised him of preparations underway for the upcoming annual India-Russia summit. Putin shook hands with Jaishankar, receiving him in the Representative Office of the Senate Palace in the Kremlin.
India eyes more S-400 missile interceptors
According to reports, during Putin's visit, New Delhi is likely to push for a major S-400 expansion pitch before Moscow during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi–Putin summit.
The reports further said that there will also be discussions on a Rs 63,000 crore plan to modernize the Sukhoi-30MKI fleet. According to the reports, India will also discuss extra surface-to-air missiles for existing S-400 units, with the IAF assessing the system’s performance during Operation Sindoor as "exceedingly well".
A separate Rs 10,000 crore proposal for S-400 missiles with interception ranges of 120 km, 200 km, 250 km and 380 km, aimed at replenishing stocks used during exchanges with Pakistan and strengthening reserves, will also be under discussion.
While the modernization will be led domestically, Russia is expected to contribute in select areas. Taken together, the five additional S-400 squadrons, missile purchases and Su-30MKI upgrades reflect India’s continued reliance on Russian platforms for its air-defense and combat structure, with the IAF reiterating the S-400’s role as a “gamechanger” against Pakistan.
Russia has reportedly conveyed that the last two S-400 squadrons from the 2018 deal will be supplied by November 2026, after delays linked to the Ukraine conflict, though the IAF remains cautious. The Defense Ministry has reportedly agreed to a Rs 10,000 crore order for additional S-400 missiles, ensuring replenishment and reserve creation.
