The Russian leader is embarking on a 48-hour trip to India, where he is set to meet PM Narendra Modi and take part in an yearly high-level meeting held by the two states.
India and Russia are expected to conclude a several accords during the trip, which takes place months after the Washington escalated diplomatic pressure on India to cease buying Russian crude oil.
It also happens amid the US President administration engaging in a round of negotiations with Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to end the hostilities.
India and Russia have been longtime partners for a long time, and Putin and Modi enjoy a warm rapport. Here is a analysis at why they both depend on each other – and what to look out for as they hold talks.
A Strategic Partnership, Economic Agreements and International Dynamics
Why are relations with India critical for the Moscow?
Firstly, examine the numbers:
- A population of almost a 1.5 billion.
- GDP expansion above 8%. India is the world's top-performing large economy.
That renders it a hugely attractive outlet for Russian commodities and resources – especially petroleum.
India is the world's third biggest consumer of petroleum and has been buying significant quantities from Russia. That wasn't always the case. Before the Kremlin's comprehensive offensive of Ukraine, a mere 2.5% of India's oil supplies were Russian.
That figure jumped to 35% as India capitalized on Russian cheaper rates prompted by restrictions against Moscow and Russia's restricted access to the Western market.
India was happy. Washington was displeased.
In October, the Trump administration slapped an further 25% tax on Indian exports, arguing that by buying oil from Russia, India was helping to fund the Kremlin's coffers. Orders from India for Russian oil have since dropped. President Putin will be keen for India to continue purchasing.
For Moscow, weapons exports to India are a further key focus and have been since the Cold War. In the run-up to Putin's visit, there were indications that India is considering to buy state-of-the-art Russian fighter jets and missile defence systems.
Russia, facing a workforce shortage, also views India as a valuable supplier of skilled workers.
But there's international posturing involved, too.
The Kremlin enjoys showing that Western campaigns to isolate it over the war in Ukraine have not succeeded.
Traveling to India and meeting Prime Minister Modi is a means of making that point.
So is going to China and meeting with Xi Jinping, as Putin did recently. He met Modi on the that trip. The image of the three leaders laughing and talking together broadcast a powerful statement that, notwithstanding the war in Ukraine, Moscow has powerful partners who endorse the concept of a "world with multiple power centers".
Russia praises its "boundless partnership" with China.
It is just as outspoken about its "strategic and favored strategic partnership" with India.
That is a stark opposite to Moscow's strained relationship with the European Union.
"I think the Kremlin is convinced that the West, including Europe, completely failed," states political analyst Andrei Kolesnikov.
"We are not isolated, because we have links to Asia and the developing world. Economically, this is the future. In that sense Russia has come back as the key actor in these areas of the globe, like the Soviet Union."
This week, though, anticipate to hear about Moscow-Delhi ties, economic agreements and enhanced economic cooperation between Moscow and Delhi.
Challenge of Modi's Strategic Autonomy
Putin's visit to Delhi is occurring at a pivotal time for Modi and India's international ambitions.
India-Russia ties go back to the USSR period and have persisted regardless of the evolving global political landscape.
Putin has reportedly put more effort and focus into this bond than other Russian leaders preceding him.
As for Modi, despite being subjected to significant scrutiny from US and European governments to criticise Russia over its war in Ukraine, he insisted that dialogue was the only way to end the conflict.
This was India's "strategic autonomy" at play – with Modi holding a unique place in the global hierarchy where he maintained strong ties with Moscow while maintaining his links with the West simultaneously.
That worked – until Trump was re-elected to the White House. India-US ties have reached an nadir in recent months as the two countries have not managed to settle the tariff stalemate.
In this scenario, Putin's visit assumes greater significance for Modi than previously because it will test India's geopolitical autonomy. He will be navigating the diplomatic delicate balance here.
Modi would seek to demonstrate the Indian public at home and in the international community that he still considers Putin as his ally and has resisted pressure from Trump, whom he has previously called his "true friend".
But he has also encountered calls from his partners in Europe – just this week, the German, French and UK ambassadors in India wrote a unprecedented co-authored column in a prominent newspaper challenging Russia's approach on Ukraine.
And so, Modi will have to make sure that the strengthening of India-Russia ties does not overshadow ongoing trade talks with the US and his partnership with Europe.
"For India, the difficulty is maintaining equilibrium – protecting independence while dealing with influence from Washington and dependence on Moscow," said a local think-tank.
Modi's additional goal will be to realize the potential of bilateral trade between India and Russia.
Observers have often said that the economic relationship between the two strong allies has underperformed for a long period.
Their total trade increased to $68.72bn at the end of March 2025, rising from {just
