Modi and Putin meet at SCO summit in Bishkek: Can India-Russia ties withstand new pressures?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. The meeting took place amid fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran, which has disrupted global energy markets, and Russia's war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.

India continues to engage with the SCO while resisting attempts to turn it into an anti-Western bloc. Former Indian ambassador to the US Meera Shankar said India's ties with Moscow are not aimed against any other country but are meant to serve India's own national interests.

Energy ties grow more important

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, discounted Russian crude has become one of India's largest energy sources, though this has also become a major point of friction with Washington, which has pushed New Delhi to cut back on Russian oil purchases. The US-Israel conflict with Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have complicated India's Gulf oil supplies and driven up prices, prompting India to diversify its energy sources further.

Shifting defense cooperation

India's reliance on Russian military hardware has been gradually declining, as the Ukraine war has raised doubts about Russia's production capacity and its ability to deliver spare parts. Experts note India remains among Russia's largest arms buyers, but is increasingly seeking partnerships that support its own domestic defense manufacturing rather than simply purchasing finished Russian systems.

China's shadow and India's balancing act

Analysts point out that Russia's growing economic dependence on China has weakened Moscow's ability to serve as a counterweight to Beijing for India. As a result, India is placing greater strategic weight on its relationship with the US and allied nations, while simultaneously broadening ties with other major powers — an approach some describe as an "America plus" strategy.

Observers expect the Bishkek meeting to mainly preserve continuity in the political relationship, with a bigger test coming in September when Putin is due to visit Delhi for the BRICS summit, which could reveal whether tangible progress follows in trade, energy, defense and technology cooperation.