Delighted to welcome my friend Putin, says Modi

Defence ministers of India, Russia hold crucial talks ahead of summit'

India and Russia on Thursday resolved to expand their bilateral defence cooperation with New Delhi showing its keen interest in procuring additional batches of S-400 missile systems from Moscow to bolster its combat prowess.

The two sides deliberated on ways to enhance the overall defence and strategic ties at a key delegation-level meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov that took place a day ahead of the 23rd India-Russia annual summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night landed in New Delhi for the summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

In the meeting with Belousov, Singh reaffirmed India's determination for capacity building of its indigenous defence industry for both local production and exports while highlighting new opportunities for enhancing India-Russia collaboration across niche technologies.

Both sides reiterated that the India-Russia relationship is based on a "deep sense of trust, common principles and mutual respect", the defence ministry said.

It is learnt that India conveyed its interest to the Russian side on procuring additional batches of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia as the weapons proved to be very effective during the Operation Sindoor. PTI

India, Russia discuss ways to deepen ties in agri sector, boost farm trade

India and Russia on Thursday discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation in the agriculture sector to strengthen farm trade and tap modern farming opportunities.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, India's Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met his Russian counterpart Okasa Lut in the national capital.

"Delighted to meet Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut in New Delhi today. We discussed ways to strengthen Indo-Russian cooperation in agriculture and explored opportunities in modern farming, innovation, research exchange, and sustainable growth," Chouhan said in a social media post.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the relations between the two countries have witnessed a remarkable and positive transformation.

"I am confident that our collaboration will bring new direction and meaningful change to the agriculture sector. Together, we aim to boost agri-trade, empower farmers, and build a future of shared progress for both nations," he said.

Putin arrived in the national capital on Thursday to a red carpet welcome.

In reflection of the importance India attached to the visit, Modi received Putin at New Delhi's Palam airport with a hug and accorded him a warm welcome to India after a gap of four years. PTI 

India urges Russia to approve 32 seafood processing units for supplies

India on Thursday (December 4) said Russia's approval of 128 Indian seafood processing units for exports reflects growing trust between the countries, and urged Moscow to clear the remaining 32 units and lift temporary suspensions on fishery establishment to further boost trade.

Addressing a gathering of Russian leaders and businesses in New Delhi, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh said that enhanced access to the Russian market, particularly for aquaculture products, such as shrimp, will directly benefit India's 30 million fishery-linked livelihoods at a time when the country's exports are facing tariff-related challenges in certain other markets.

The US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods entering American markets. The US is a key destination for domestic shrimp exports.

"The approval of 128 Indian seafood processing units for export to Russia reflects trust, and we look forward to continuing engagements for approving the remaining 32 units and lifting temporary suspensions on fishery establishment" to further push trade, Singh said at the India-Russia Business Forum meet, organised by Ficci.

He added that expanded opportunities in Russia will help diversify the country's exports.

The minister informed that India has taken a number of steps to modernise fishery-related infrastructure, strengthen value chains and promote sustainable growth.

India is a global fishery powerhouse, contributing 8 per cent of the global fish production, and ranks second in global fish output and aquaculture.

It produced 19.5 million tonnes in 2024-25.

To support this growth, Singh said India maintains high standards of food safety, robust traceability systems and transparent science-based protocols to meet the stringent requirements of international markets and uphold global consumer confidence.

India's seafood exports reach 130 destinations worldwide, and in this context, Russia is an increasingly important partner, he added.

While Russia imports marine products worth USD 3.5 billion in 2021, India's exports were just USD 135 million.

The data shows that considerable scope is there to expand market presence, he said.

"I thank the Russian authorities for their constructive cooperation and continued confidence in India's seafood safety and quality systems," he added.

'Blatant lie,' says BJP on Rahul Gandhi's claim foreign heads not allowed to meet him

The BJP on Thursday dismissed as a "blatant lie" Rahul Gandhi's allegation that the government does not let foreign dignitaries meet him, the Leader of Opposition, saying he had met many foreign guests, including the prime ministers of New Zealand and Mauritius, this year.

In a post on X, BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni shared pictures of Rahul from meetings with these foreign dignitaries and said, "During any visit, MEA organises meetings for the visiting dignitary with government officials and government bodies." He added, "Organising meetings outside the government depends on the visiting delegation."

The rebuttal came after Rahul alleged that the government tells visiting foreign dignitaries not to meet the Leader of the Opposition due to its "insecurity." The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha said it has been a tradition that visiting foreign dignitaries meet the LoP, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of External Affairs were not following the norm.

Baluni, a Lok Sabha MP, said Rahul had met at least five foreign guests, including heads of state, in just one and a half years, and met many foreign guests earlier as well.

He said Rahul met former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on June 10, 2024, Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim on August 21, 2024, Prime Minister of Mauritius Navinchandra Ramgoolam on September 16, 2025, and Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon on March 8, 2025.

"The LOP also met the PM of Vietnam on August 1, 2024," Baluni said, posting pictures of the Congress leader meeting these foreign dignitaries on X.

Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party MP Priyanka Gandhi were present with Rahul at some of these meetings, the pictures shared by the BJP leader show.

"These pictures can't be fake, Rahul Gandhi ji," Baluni said, adding, the photographs proved that the LoP is "simply lying." "However, whenever you go to foreign soil, you always end up tarnishing the image of India, India's democracy, and India's Constitution," Baluni charged.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Gandhi tried to dent the country's image by making "baseless" allegations against the government, and stoked a controversy on the day Russian President Vladimir Putin was on a visit to India.

"This does not present India in a good light...We do not expect this from Rahul Gandhi. He is an LoP, and the LoP should always behave responsibly," the BJP MP told reporters in the Parliament House complex.

Patra asserted that there was no reason for the government to have any sense of insecurity from Rahul and the Gandhi family.

"Absolutely not. He is overestimating himself," the BJP leader said in a dig at Rahul.

Patra also took exception to Gandhi speaking about "another perspective" that he was allegedly bereft of presenting to the foreign leaders.

"The perspective that he gives during his foreign visits, like India's economy is dead, no development happening in India... Is this the perspective he wants to present to the world?" the BJP leader asked.

PM Modi: 'Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India'

PM Modi shares images of him welcoming Russian President Putin at Palam Airport in Delhi and later travelling in the same car.

Modi and Putin arrive at PM's residence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, the official residence of Modi.

'Putin and Modi have set target of USD 100 billion by 2030'

Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Russian Presidential Executive Office, told ANI, "President Putin and Prime Minister Modi have set the target of 100 billion USD by 2030. So this is the target we are working on. And we believe that the key source of this and that increase will come from India's export in goods and services going to Russia."

FM meets Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister, discusses issues of mutual interest

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam met a Russian delegation led by Denis Manturov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, here, and both sides discussed various issues of mutual interest, encompassing investment, banking and finance.

Both India and Russia expressed expectations of strong outcomes from the upcoming 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit scheduled to be held on December 5, 2025, the finance ministry said in a post on X.

The Russian First Deputy Prime Minister extended strong support to India's upcoming chairship of BRICS, it said.

Manturov is visiting India with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is here on a two-day official trip beginning Thursday for the Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is Putin's first visit to India in four years.

The First Deputy Prime Minister was accompanied by Reshetnikov Maxim, Minister of Economic Development; Siluanov Anton, Minister of Finance; and Nabiullina Elvira, Chairman of the Central Bank, among others.

The Indian delegation comprised representatives of the Department of Economic Affairs, the Department of Financial Services Secretary, the Reserve Bank of India, and the Ministry of External Affairs.

Putin visit shows Russia-India ties on even keel, despite oil import setback

As Russian President Vladimir Putin sits down at the summit meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one key question is: Which of the two is more dependent on the other? Both nations are the targets of US President Donald Trump, though in varying degrees, but are targets nevertheless.

If Moscow is being heavily sanctioned by Trump over the war with Ukraine, India, too finds itself caught in the crossfire on the issue of oil imports from Russia. Unable to countenance Trump’s punitive tariffs, the Narendra Modi government has directed India’s oil companies to reduce buying crude from Russia’s sanctioned companies, and they already have, writes KS Dakshina Murthy, The Federal's Consulting Editor.

Read Murthy's full opinion piece here.

Video: Modi and Putin travel in same car

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin travel in the same car, as they depart from the Palam Technical Airport in Delhi.