We'll Always Have BrahMos: Why India-Russia Ties Will Keep Deepening

Trump feels that this will strengthen his case for the Nobel Peace Prize, for which the pitch has already been made. But for India, ties with the erstwhile Soviet Union (and now, Russia) have not only been New Delhi’s most firm bilateral partnership, but also a factor of stability in Eurasian geopolitics. 

The term that has been used most often to describe India-Russia ties is "time-tested". It's a term that carries weight. Since the signing of the “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” in October 2000 (during the visit of President Putin), India-Russia ties have acquired a qualitatively new character, with enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all areas, including political, social, security, defence, trade and economy, science & technology, and culture.

Old Partnership, New Dimensions

Energy ties and Indian manpower in Russia have added a new dimension to this partnership. In the future, a partnership in Russia's resource-rich Arctic region will open avenues that will power India’s growth.   

The annual summit between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin is the highest institutionalised dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two countries. So far, 22 such annual summits have taken place, alternatively in India and Russia.  

India-Russia military technical cooperation has evolved from a buyer-seller framework to one involving joint research, development, and production of advanced defence technologies and systems, including the state-of-the-art BrahMos missiles. It's the only one-of-a-kind relationship that India has developed with any country, and it symbolises trust and confidence in strategic areas. 

Intensifying trade and economic relations has been identified as a priority area, with targets set for increasing bilateral investment to US$ 50 billion by 2025, and to US$ 100 billion by 2030. Already, this has reached a record high of US$ 68.7 billion in FY 2024-25, which exceeded the set target. It comprises India’s exports worth US$ 4.9 billion and imports from Russia amounting to US$ 63.8 billion.

A Stable, Growing Relationship

The bilateral relationship has remained strong and stable over the past 78 years. The India-Russia partnership has been among the steadiest in the contemporary era, with a shared commitment to a multipolar world, even as the engagement expands beyond the traditional military, nuclear, and space cooperation.

Both countries are also looking to strengthen inter-regional cooperation, especially in the Russian Far East, and promote connectivity initiatives like the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor, and the Northern Sea Route. There is also a synergy between Russia’s pivot to the East, its resources and technology, and India’s flagship initiatives, like Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.