Putin launches RT India during state visit to BRICS partner: As it happened

Hello, and welcome to RT’s special coverage of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day state visit to India. We’ll be bringing you regular updates on all the news from the visit, which will include meetings between Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and various talks between delegations from the two countries.

Issues such as trade and defense ties are set to feature high on the agenda as the two countries build on their strong existing relations.

Be sure to follow throughout Thursday and Friday for all you need to know about the historic visit.

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has arrived in the Indian capital.

Belousov and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh are participating in the 22nd meeting of the Russian-Indian Inter-Ministerial Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation.

The Russia-India Business Forum kicks off in New Delhi, with the main session titled ‘Sell in Russia: New Horizons for Indian Business.’

Participants include Maxim Oreshkin, deputy chief of staff to President Putin, and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

Real-time flight tracking site Flightradar24 posted on X that President Putin’s flight is the most tracked aircraft now. Putin is scheduled to reach New Delhi later in the day.

International settlements between Russia and India have doubled in a year, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has said. Speaking at the Indian launch of Russian retail bank VTB he noted that almost all deals are being carried out in national currencies.

For some background reading on what to expect from Putin’s visit to India, RT has put together a handy explainer on all the main points likely to feature on the agenda.

From trade and defense cooperation to space and cultural ties, you can find out more here.  

Former Indian diplomat Rajiv Dogra has underscored the importance of President Putin’s visit to India.  This visit  “is unlike any normal heads of state meet - This is being watched carefully around the world,” he told RT India.

Media review: The Russian president has told India Today he lauds India’s “strategic autonomy.”

“The range of our cooperation with India is very huge. I’m not even talking about history of our relations because this history is of a unique nature,” Putin said.

Putin and Modi’s personal ties have been described as a “genuine friendship,” while their nations have enjoyed warm relations for decades.

Ahead of Putin’s visit to India, RT’s Isabella Blumberg looks back at ties down the years.

Russian Economic Development Minister Maksim Reshetnikov has told Izvestia that visa-free travel with India would be a powerful growth engine. “We need to reach an agreement on group visa-free travel, most likely this is the main mechanism we are proposing to our colleagues,” he said.