India-Russia relations

India-Russia relations

News: Recently, EAM Dr. S Jaishankar visited Russia. President Putin is said to have broken a protocol to have a meeting with him.

Key Highlights:
• There was an emphasis on strategic collaboration in defence, space exploration, nuclear energy, and technology sharing. Russia
agreed on expansion of hydrocarbon exports to India.
• Signing of Agreements: Three documents were signed during the visit, including a protocol on consultations for the next four
years, an MoU on cooperation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and an agreement related to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu.
• Strengthening of Bilateral Ties: The visit provided an opportunity to review ongoing bilateral cooperation and consider ways to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.

Overview of India-Russia relations:

Defence and Security Cooperation
• Earlier, relations were restricted to buyer-seller framework but now it has evolved to Defence and Security Cooperation. Example, Brahmos missile system.
• Russia supplies 45% of India’s total defense imports. Example, S-400 missile system.

Political relations
• The Annual Summit meeting between the PM of India and the Russian President is the highest institutionalized dialogue.
• Russia-India are part of different groupings – BRICS, G20, SCO, INSTC

Space Cooperation
• MoU between ISRO and ROSCOSMOS on Joint Activities in the field of Human Spaceflight Programme (Gaganyaan).

Nuclear Energy
• 2014 Strategic Vision for strengthening cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) is being built in India with Russian cooperation.

Trade
• India’s total bilateral trade with Russia stood at approximately USD 13 billion in 2021-22 and USD 8.14 billion in 2020-21. Russia is India’s seventh biggest trading partner, up from the 25th position in 2021.
• Revised targets of increasing bilateral investment to US $50 billion and bilateral trade to US $30 billion by 2025.

What are the recent challenges seen in India-Russia relations?
• Shift in Global Alliances: The increasing proximity of India to the US has raised concerns in Russia about India’s strategic choices in the arena of great power competition.
• Russia’s Growing Relationship with China: Russia’s growing relationship with China has also been a point of concern for India. This has led to a perceived shift in the balance of the India-Russia relationship.
• Decline in Defence Deals: There has been a gradual decline in the orders of India from Russia because of India’s desire to diversify its defence imports from other countries like Saudi Arabia, the USA, and Israel.
• Russian officials have repeatedly criticized the idea of the Indo-Pacific and the Quad, arguing that it is meant to contain China. Russia believes that India is currently an object of the Western countries.