‘See You in India Soon’: PM Modi Wishes Putin on 73rd Birthday, Reaffirms Powerful India–Russia Partnership

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on his 73rd birthday, extending warm greetings and best wishes.

During their conversation, both leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthening the long-standing India-Russia “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.” According to government sources, Prime Minister Modi also conveyed that he looks forward to welcoming President Putin to India soon. 

In addition, Prime Minister Modi said he is delighted to have President Putin visit India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, highlighting the significance of ongoing high-level interaction between Moscow and New Delhi.  

When Is Putin Scheduled to Visit India?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit India on December 5th for the 23rd annual India-Russia summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit will take place as New Delhi considers its choices regarding the import of Russian oil in light of EU sanctions and U.S. penalty tariffs. It will be Mr. Putin's first visit to India since 2021 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.  

The most recent data shows that India's imports of Russian oil fell 16% from September 2024. This could be a sign that the Modi government is diversifying its oil sources after three years of increasing its consumption of discounted Russian oil by a factor of two. The government also faced 25% penalty tariffs from the United States on the matter.