Why is India in a rush to seal an FTA with the Russia-led Eurasian bloc?

An ambitious pact with Moscow's bloc could cut tariffs, boost exports from Armenia to Kyrgyzstan, and ease India's dependence on oil imports

Last week, an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin sharing a car ride to their bilateral meeting in Tianjin, China, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, captured global attention. 

The meeting signalled a deepening of India’s strategic relationship with Russia, despite pressure from the West, particularly the US and the European Union. Prioritising economic ties, India and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) last month finalised a framework to launch free trade agreement (FTA) talks. Both sides aim to conclude negotiations within 18 months, with the possibility of an earlier conclusion depending