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Introduction

India’s “best friend forever” narrative with Russia reflects deep political warmth and strategic comfort. Yet ties remain thin economically and societally, & more concentrated in defense and energy. Structural imbalances, sanctions shocks, and limited private-sector linkages prevent a broad, resilient Indo-Russian partnership.

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Why political comfort fails to deliver a broad partnership

• Narrow economic base: Trade remains skewed toward Russian oil and commodities rather than balanced bilateral commerce.
  Eg: Bilateral trade jumped to ~$68.7 billion in FY25, largely driven by oil imports. 
• Western sanctions impact: Sanctions on Russia complicate banking, payments and technology transfers with Indian firms.
• Defence centricity: Relationship is dominated by government-to-government defence deals, limiting wider commercial engagement.
• Limited private ties: Russian firms and Indian private sector have low integration and few joint investments.
• Competing strategic priorities: Russia’s closer alignment with China and India’s West engagements create strategic discomfort.
  Eg: Post-Ukraine dynamics pushed Russia closer to China, constraining India’s leverage.
• Technology and standards gap: Indian industry seeks western tech and standards, while Russian tech often lags in civilian markets.
• Connectivity bottlenecks: Logistics routes and trade facilitation between India and Russia remain underdeveloped, increasing costs.

Key areas to build deeper cooperation 

• Energy and Oil: Long-term contracts and refining partnerships can stabilise supplies and deepen economic ties.
  Eg: Discussions on reviving stakes in Sakhalin and long-term energy deals feature in talks.
• Civil nuclear collaboration: Expand reactor construction, fuel cycles and joint R&D for India’s growing nuclear ambitions.
  Eg: Rosatom actively pitches large reactors and remains partner for Kudankulam and future projects. 
• Joint defence production: Co-develop platforms, localise manufacture and pursue offsets to create Indian jobs and Russian market.
  Eg: Proposals include Su-57/S-400 offsets and joint spares manufacturing in India. 
• Space and high tech: Collaborate on human spaceflight, satellite systems, and joint science missions for mutual gains.
  Eg: ISRO and Roscosmos cooperation supports astronaut training and joint missions. 
• Trade facilitation and FTA: Negotiate practical trade pacts, payment mechanisms and logistics to diversify bilateral commerce.
• Critical minerals and rare earths: Joint mining, processing and supply chain partnerships can reduce import dependencies for both nations.
• Science and people ties: Boost university links, culture and tourism to broaden societal foundations of the relationship.

Conclusion

A mature India–Russia partnership now requires moving beyond nostalgia toward practical, future-ready cooperation. By expanding ties in energy, technology, defence co-production, critical minerals and connectivity, both nations can reshape their relationship into a balanced, innovation-driven and strategically resilient partnership suited to a changing global order.

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