Russia assures uninterrupted energy, fertilizer supplies to India
What's the story
Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured India of uninterrupted supplies of energy and fertilizers, despite disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The assurance came during a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Moscow. Jaishankar is currently in Russia to co-chair the Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) meeting.
Trade discussions
Jaishankar highlights growing trade imbalance
During the meeting, Jaishankar highlighted the need to address the growing trade imbalance between India and Russia.
Bilateral trade has increased this year but saw a slight decline in 2025. The trade imbalance has widened from $6.6 billion to over $50 billion, with Jaishankar calling it "one of our foremost priorities."
He proposed three measures to strengthen economic ties: focusing on implementation and outcomes, aligning institutional mechanisms with industry priorities, and exploring new possibilities for de-risking and diversifying.
Strategic talks
Energy security and nuclear cooperation discussions
The discussions also covered energy security, nuclear cooperation, trade, investments, technology, and space exploration.
Russia's first deputy prime minister Denis Manturov emphasized Rosatom's role in building India's Kudankulam nuclear power plant as a basis for expanding cooperation in nuclear energy.
He also spoke about potential joint projects in non-ferrous and rare earth metals extraction and processing.
Collaborative efforts
Space exploration and high-speed electric train prototype
India and Russia are also exploring cooperation in space exploration, including manned spaceflight and satellite navigation.
A prototype of a high-speed electric train jointly produced by both countries will be assembled by the end of this year.
Tourist flows between Russia and India increased by 8% in the first half of 2026, with over 25,000 Indian tourists visiting Russia.
Sectoral collaboration
Other key areas of cooperation discussed
Russian energy minister Sergei Tsivilev called India a key partner in the fuel and energy sector.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak expressed interest in Indian investments in Russia's oil and gas sector.
The number of Indian students studying in Russia has also grown to almost 40,000, with Manturov suggesting support for talented children as a new area of cooperation.