INRU: India-Russia Diplomatic Trail

The current trend is defined by a remarkable resilience, with Russia remaining a crucial provider of energy and defence hardware, and India continuing to rely on its traditional partner to maintain its strategic autonomy in an increasingly complex world. While New Delhi continues its pragmatic diversification across all domains, the special and privileged strategic partnership with Moscow remains a non-negotiable pillar of India’s foreign policy architecture, adapting with flexibility and self-interest to the demands of a multipolar 21st century – Dr Jintu Sarma

The relationship between India and Russia is a testament to geopolitical stability, transcending ideological divides, global shifts, and internal transformations. Forged in the crucible of the Cold War and continually redefined in the multipolar landscape of the 21st century, this partnership has evolved from a strategic necessity into a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership”. Rooted in decades of diplomatic, defence, and economic cooperation, the history and current trends of India-Russia relations reveal an enduring bond built on mutual respect and shared strategic interests.

The INRU’s formal diplomatic relations were established in April 1947, months before India’s independence, but the partnership truly blossomed in the mid-1950s. The burgeoning closeness was fundamentally a product of India’s non-aligned foreign policy and the geopolitical realities of the Cold War. The Soviet Union (USSR) became an indispensable ally to India when its relationship with the Western bloc, particularly the United States, was fraught with tension, largely due to US military alignment with Pakistan. The pillars of the Soviet-Indian bond were: Beginning in the 1960s with the supply of MiG-21 fighter jets, the USSR became India’s largest and most reliable arms supplier, providing crucial technology transfers and licensed production rights that other nations withheld. This partnership remains the bedrock of India’s military capabilities, with an estimated 60-70% of current Indian military hardware being of Russian origin. The USSR consistently provided crucial diplomatic support to India at the United Nations, notably using its veto power on issues related to Goa, Kashmir, and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. This timely and unequivocal backing cemented a profound sense of strategic trust in New Delhi. The Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1971 was a landmark event, solidifying the strategic alliance and providing India with the necessary geopolitical shield to achieve a decisive victory in the war against Pakistan.

Beyond security, the Soviet Union was instrumental in building India’s post-independence industrial base. Driven by India’s socialist-leaning five-year plans, Soviet assistance was poured into heavy industries, including steel, oil, and power. Key national enterprises like the Bhilai Steel Plant, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), and the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) owe their genesis to Soviet collaboration. The rupee-rouble trade mechanism allowed India to conserve its scarce foreign exchange, further bolstering the economic partnership.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 posed a major challenge to the relationship. The Russian Federation, the successor state, was preoccupied with domestic upheaval and economic transition, leading to a temporary decline in diplomatic and trade exchanges. India, simultaneously, began diversifying its diplomatic and defence ties. Despite this, New Delhi was quick to recognise the Russian Federation, and the foundational elements of the partnership were retained. The 1971 Treaty was replaced by the 1993 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, affirming the continued strategic relevance of the bond. This decade marked a period of essential continuity, ensuring the historical legacy was passed on, even as the scale of engagement had shrunk. The visit of President Vladimir Putin to India in 2000 marked a pivotal renewal, leading to the signing of the Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership. This was subsequently upgraded in 2010 to a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, reflecting the deepening and comprehensive nature of their ties across multiple domains. Defence remains the primary anchor of the partnership, transitioning from a purely buyer-seller relationship to joint research, development, and manufacturing under India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. Joint ventures like the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile programme are world-renowned. Licensed production of platforms such as the Su-30MKI fighter jet and T-90 tanks continues to be vital for India’s military readiness. The acquisition of the S-400 Triumf air defence system, despite the threat of US sanctions, underscores the strategic compulsion and political will of India to maintain its defence relationship with Russia. The annual bilateral summits and the establishment of the 2+2 Dialogue (Foreign and Defence Ministers) in 2021 provide institutional pathways for high-level strategic coordination. While historically driven by defence, the economic relationship is rapidly expanding, particularly in the energy sector. Russia is a key partner in India’s civilian nuclear programme, exemplified by the ongoing work at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. Following the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, discounted Russian crude oil has become a dominant component of India’s energy imports. Russia has, in a short span, become India’s top crude oil supplier, a move driven by New Delhi’s pragmatic pursuit of energy security and its commitment to the principle of “strategic autonomy.

Bilateral trade has soared, albeit with a significant imbalance skewed towards Russian imports (oil). Both nations are actively pursuing mechanisms to resolve payment issues, including the use of local currencies and the potential linking of India’s RuPay with Russia’s Mir payment network. Crucially, the activation of connectivity projects like the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor is a major focus to enhance commercial exchange and geo-economic linkage. The current visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India for the annual summit holds immense strategic and geopolitical significance for both nations, especially in the current complex global environment. It serves as a vital affirmation of the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” between India and Russia. The India-Russia diplomatic relationship is a unique case of a partnership that has withstood the end of the Cold War and the onset of a new geopolitical confrontation. Its history is a chronicle of mutual support, vital defence cooperation, and industrial collaboration. The current trend is defined by a remarkable resilience, with Russia remaining a crucial provider of energy and defence hardware, and India continuing to rely on its traditional partner to maintain its strategic autonomy in an increasingly complex world. While New Delhi continues its pragmatic diversification across all domains, the special and privileged strategic partnership with Moscow remains a non-negotiable pillar of India’s foreign policy architecture, adapting with flexibility and self-interest to the demands of a multipolar 21st century.

(The author is Asstt. Professor at Guwahati College)