International Relations GS 2 In the news 12 times

India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership

India and Russia upgraded their bilateral relationship to a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" in 2010, reflecting the depth of ties spanning defence, energy, nuclear cooperation, and diplomatic coordination. The relationship predates independence and was institutionalised through the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1971, which provided India with diplomatic cover during the Bangladesh Liberation War when the US Seventh Fleet was deployed in the Bay of Bengal as a show of force against India.

Key details

India and Russia hold an annual bilateral summit mechanism at the highest political level.
Russia accounts for over 60% of India's total defence imports — including platforms such as the Su-30MKI aircraft, T-90 tanks, INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, and the S-400 air defence system.
The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu is a joint India-Russia project, with Units 1 and 2 operational and multiple additional units under construction.
Both countries are members of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where their positions often align on issues of multipolarity and non-Western governance.

In the news

● Tracked since February 06, 2026 · last seen August 25, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

25 Aug '26

Jaishankar calls for urgent steps to address $50-billion India-Russia trade deficit

Economics

23 Jun '26

NSA Doval meets Russian counterpart Shoigu, discusses bilateral ties