India-Russia Strategic Partnership

India and Russia have maintained a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" formalised in 2010, built on decades of Soviet-era defence, technology, and economic cooperation. Russia is India's largest defence supplier (historically ~60-70% of India's military hardware), though India has been diversifying toward the US, France, and Israel. The bilateral relationship has deepened since 2022 due to India's refusal to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the rapid expansion of energy trade. In 2025, India-Russia bilateral trade crossed $65 billion — driven overwhelmingly by crude oil — compared to roughly $13 billion before 2022. The annual India-Russia summit alternates between the two capitals.