BS EDIT: Putin’s Visit: Autonomy on Display

By Business StandardPublished On Dec 8, 2025

A Partnership Under Pressure

Amid Western sanctions on Russia and U.S. friction with India, the warm welcome was a choreographed signal of enduring ties and mutual support

India’s Balanced Messaging

Modi’s “side of peace” remark, plus invites to Zelenskyy and the EU, carefully balanced the embrace of Putin, asserting nuanced autonomy

Economic Blueprint: Programme 2030

A $100 billion trade target and agreements on national currency trade were set. The promise is vast, but execution remains the real test

A Strategic Human Bridge

A “labour mobility agreement” allows skilled Indian workers to fill Russia’s looming 3-million-job shortage, creating a new, long-term linkage

The Silence on Defence

No new deals on S-400s or Su-57 fighters emerged. The focus shifted to joint manufacturing, leaving key military capability gaps unaddressed

The Forthcoming Test

The lack of Western protest offers relief, but India’s autonomy faces real exams: a US trade deal, Quad standing, and fulfilling economic promises