India and Russia have taken significant steps to strengthen their bilateral relations, focusing on defence and trade in fisheries, meat, and dairy products. During a recent meeting in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov agreed to enhance their defence partnership, emphasizing collaboration in military technologies and industrial cooperation. This agreement comes as India aims to maintain its strategic autonomy amid pressure from the US and EU to reduce ties with Russia.

The two ministers signed a protocol outlining ongoing and future areas of defence cooperation, highlighting a relationship built on trust and mutual respect. Discussions included India's plans to acquire additional S-400 air defence systems and upgrade its Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets. However, officials noted that supplying advanced S-500 systems would be challenging for Russia at this time. Singh reiterated India's commitment to boosting its indigenous defence production under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, while Belousov expressed Russia's readiness to support India's self-reliance in defence.

In addition to defence talks, India and Russia also focused on expanding trade in fisheries, meat, and dairy products. Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh met with Russian Agriculture Minister Oxana Lut to discuss increasing imports of Indian fish and meat, as well as developing joint projects in trout production. Singh highlighted India's fish exports, valued at USD 7.45 billion in 2024-25, and the potential to diversify exports to Russia with products like shrimp and tuna.

Both sides agreed to expedite the listing of Indian establishments on Russia's veterinary platform, with Singh requesting faster approvals for dairy companies, including AMUL, and for buffalo meat and poultry exports. They also explored cooperation in advanced aquaculture technologies and capacity building in deep-sea fishing.

The discussions took place ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to India for the 23rd Annual Summit, where further collaboration in various sectors is expected to be a key focus. Both nations are keen to strengthen their longstanding partnership, which encompasses a wide range of areas from defence to agriculture.