India and Russia have maintained a stable strategic relationship buoyed by military cooperation and mutual trust, even as trade and infrastructure projects between them have struggled to match the momentum of their defence-ties.
Since the 1950s, the bilateral relations between India and Russia (and its Soviet predecessor) have remained remarkably consistent, even as both countries’ ties with other global powers have shifted.
In recent years, despite Western pressures and a cooling in Indian-US relations, India has deepened its defence and strategic partnership with Russia — including major arms deals and sustained energy purchases — reinforcing a long-standing foundation of trust.
Commercial ties, however, have lagged behind the military and diplomatic relationship: ambitious infrastructure initiatives like the International North‑South Transport Corridor and the Vladivostok-Chennai maritime link have yet to achieve their full potential, limiting the broader economic dimension of the partnership.