RoydadNaft –  Russian President Vladimir Putin assured India of uninterrupted energy supplies and pushed for deeper defence and economic ties during a high-profile summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, as New Delhi navigates intensifying U.S. pressure over its continued purchase of Russian oil and arms.

The two leaders, whose countries share a decades-old strategic partnership, signed a raft of agreements and adopted a roadmap to lift bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030, while pledging to modernise defence cooperation through joint research, development and production in India.

“Russian-Indian relations have stood the test of time,” Modi said after the talks, describing the partnership as rooted in “mutual respect and deep trust.” He reiterated India’s call for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict.

Putin, on his first visit to New Delhi since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, used the occasion to question Washington’s sanctions regime. In remarks broadcast Thursday, he asked why India should be denied the right to buy Russian energy when the United States continues to purchase Russian nuclear fuel and other commodities.

India, the world’s largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude and its top arms customer for decades, has faced renewed U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump targeting countries that maintain energy trade with Moscow. Indian officials say energy imports from Russia are set to drop to a three-year low this month.

Responding cautiously to Putin’s offer of guaranteed fuel supplies, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stressed that state refiners make sourcing decisions based on “commercial considerations and evolving market dynamics,” a clear reference to sanctions risks and price discounts.

Despite the constraints, Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp have placed orders for January-loading Russian crude from non-sanctioned suppliers, taking advantage of widening discounts, sources told Reuters.

The summit produced agreements on joint fertiliser production, agricultural cooperation, healthcare, shipping and a framework to facilitate Indian workers’ migration to Russia. On defence, the two sides agreed to shift from buyer-seller relations to co-development and co-production of advanced platforms, including spare parts for Russia’s extensive inventory of military equipment already in Indian service.

Putin received a full ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, complete with a 21-gun salute, underscoring the enduring warmth in ties even as India deepens security partnerships with the United States and its Indo-Pacific allies.

A joint statement emphasised that Russian-Indian relations “remain resilient to external pressure” in the current “complex and uncertain geopolitical situation.”

With a large business delegation in tow, Moscow is keen to narrow a growing trade imbalance by importing more Indian pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, agricultural products and textiles.

Modi and Putin also committed to expanded nuclear energy cooperation, with Russia continuing to supply fuel for India’s Russian-built reactors.

The visit comes days before a scheduled trip to New Delhi by U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer, as the two sides attempt to negotiate a deal that could ease Trump-era tariffs on Indian exports.