Jaishankar Conveys Modi’s Personal Message to Putin in Moscow Amid Strengthening India-Russia Ties

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on August 24, 2026, during a two-day official visit and delivered a personal message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The interaction highlighted the depth of the India-Russia strategic partnership and set the stage for high-level engagements at the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS summits. Discussions covered bilateral economic cooperation, energy security, fertiliser supplies, and broader regional and global issues.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday. (AP) | The Indian Express

The Kremlin Meeting and Exchange of Messages

Jaishankar arrived in Russia at the invitation of First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Earlier in the day he co-chaired the 27th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation. During the subsequent meeting with Putin he handed over Modiji’s personal communication and conveyed the Indian Prime Minister’s greetings. Jaishankar briefed the Russian President on the outcomes of the inter-governmental commission, noting significant progress across trade, energy, fertilisers, nuclear cooperation and other domains. He observed that overall economic cooperation between the two countries had grown very significantly.

In response, Putin asked Jaishankar to convey his best wishes to Modiji. He expressed the hope of meeting the Indian leader soon within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and indicated that a further meeting later in the year remained possible. Putin credited Modiji’s personal attention for the recent recovery and growth in bilateral trade turnover, which had increased this year after a modest decline the previous year. He described the long-established relationship between Russia and India as one that continues to operate across governmental, parliamentary and economic spheres.

Progress and Challenges in Economic Partnership

Bilateral goods trade has expanded nearly fourfold over the past five years, rising from around thirteen billion US dollars in 2021-22 to nearly sixty billion US dollars in 2025-26. This expansion demonstrates the potential of the partnership, yet it has been accompanied by a widening trade imbalance that has grown from 6.6 billion dollars to more than fifty billion dollars. Indian imports from Russia, dominated by energy products, far exceed Indian exports. Jaishankar identified the correction of this imbalance as one of the foremost priorities and called for greater market access, the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers, stronger payment mechanisms and closer business-to-business engagement. Both sides reaffirmed their shared objective of reaching one hundred billion dollars in bilateral trade by 2030.

Assurances on Energy and Fertilisers

Putin assured India of continued and increased supplies of energy and fertilisers. He stated that Russia was doing everything possible to meet the needs of Indian farmers and the agricultural sector and stood ready to maintain these supplies. The assurances assumed added importance in the context of disruptions linked to developments in West Asia. Nuclear energy and high-technology cooperation were also identified as key areas on the bilateral agenda. After the meeting with Putin, Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov covering bilateral cooperation, regional developments, global challenges and multilateral issues. He later described the India-Russia partnership as resilient and adaptable even amid a complex international environment.

Upcoming Multilateral Engagements

The Moscow meetings took place against the backdrop of two important summits. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit is scheduled for 31 August to 1 September 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, marking the organisation’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Prime Minister Modi and President Putin are expected to meet on the sidelines. The BRICS Summit will follow in New Delhi on 12-13 September, where Putin has been invited to visit India. An annual India-Russia bilateral summit is also planned for later in the year at a mutually convenient time. Jaishankar conveyed that Modiji looked forward to these meetings so that the two countries could present a strong picture of cooperation.

The MGMM Outlook 

India-Russia relations continue to demonstrate resilience and strategic importance as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow brought renewed focus to economic cooperation, energy security, fertiliser supplies and upcoming multilateral engagements. Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal message to Putin and briefed him on the progress achieved through the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission. Putin, in turn, acknowledged the importance of Modiji’s personal attention in strengthening bilateral trade and expressed his expectation of meeting the Prime Minister at upcoming international forums.

The discussions also reflected the practical priorities shaping the partnership. While bilateral trade has expanded significantly in recent years, both countries are looking to diversify trade and address the existing imbalance by improving market access, payment mechanisms and business-to-business cooperation. Russia’s assurance of continued energy and fertiliser supplies is particularly significant for India’s energy security and agricultural requirements, while cooperation in nuclear energy and high-technology sectors offers further opportunities for long-term growth. With the SCO and BRICS summits approaching, along with a proposed annual India-Russia summit later this year, the two countries have several opportunities to deepen cooperation and translate their longstanding relationship into broader economic and strategic gains.

(Sources: Firstpost, India Today, The Indian Express)