Vladimir Putin began a two-day trip to India on December 4, marking his first visit in more than four years and signalling renewed diplomatic engagement between Moscow and New Delhi. His arrival triggered an unusually personal gesture from Narendra Modi, who greeted the Russian leader at Delhi’s Palam airport before accompanying him directly to the prime ministerial residence, the Hindustan Times reports.

The two leaders travelled together from the airport to Lok Kalyan Marg, mirroring a similar display of camaraderie during a previous encounter in Tianjin, China. Their journey by car - a departure from standard protocol - set the tone for a visit designed to project continuity and warmth in a long-standing bilateral relationship. The evening concluded with a private dinner at the prime minister’s residence, with no public details released about the discussions, the Times added.

Putin’s itinerary centres on the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit and is compressed into a 27-hour programme. December 5^th - Friday’s - agenda includes a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan and a visit to Raj Ghat to honour Mahatma Gandhi, followed by formal talks at Hyderabad House. Business engagement is also planned, with both leaders due to address an event organised jointly by FICCI and Roscongress.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu will later host a state banquet before the Russian delegation’s scheduled departure that night.

The visit is set against a complex geopolitical backdrop. New Delhi continues to manage its energy needs while navigating tighter US tariffs and sanctions, and officials expect oil trade to feature prominently in the talks.

According to the Hindustan Times, Moscow and New Delhi have been exploring ways to strengthen payment mechanisms for bilateral commerce and to reduce dependence on the dollar, with a long-term objective of raising trade volumes from roughly $68bn to $100bn by the end of the decade.

Discussions are also expected to cover potential defence collaboration, including the possibility of India acquiring additional advanced aircraft. Negotiators from both sides have recently progressed on an agreement to facilitate the movement of skilled and semi-skilled workers, and early-stage talks on a free-trade arrangement with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union have resumed.

Several agreements across trade, education, agriculture and cultural cooperation are expected to be signed, underscoring efforts by both governments to stabilise and modernise their strategic partnership despite heightened global tensions.