We're about to hear from Putin and Modi, who will speak to reporters as they hold talks in Delhi.

Stay with us for the key lines, and you can watch along by clicking the watch live at the top of the page.

In the next few minutes, we should be hearing from Putin and Modi after their bilateral meeting in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin says Moscow is waiting for a response from Washington following talks on a possible plan to end its war in Ukraine.

"We are now waiting for the reaction of our American colleagues to the discussion we had on Tuesday," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency RIA, Reuters reported.

He added that there were no plans for a call between Putin and Trump.

The Russian president had met special US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, earlier this week in Moscow.

No date has been set for a new meeting with Witkoff, Ushakov said.

Vikas Pandey
India editor

India-Russia relations go back to the Soviet era. Different governments and leaders have come and gone in both countries, but the relationship has stood the test of time.

Russia famously provided a strategic counterbalance to Pakistan’s Western allies during the 1971 war, which eventually led to the formation of Bangladesh.

Several historical accounts suggest Moscow even dispatched its own naval fleets to the region to counter similar deployments from the US and the UK.

This allowed India to carry on its operation inside what is present-day Bangladesh without worrying about Western intervention.

Moscow has also often used its veto powers at the United Nations Security Council to support India’s stand on several issues, including Kashmir.

Waseem Mushtaq
BBC Monitoring

Indian media have highlighted the Modi-Putin "bonhomie" even as they note that Western countries are watching the visit closely against the backdrop of tensions with Moscow over the Ukraine war.

In a rare move, Modi broke protocol and received Putin at the airport on his arrival in Delhi on Thursday.

A headline in Hindustan Times read “PM-Putin bonhomie sets tone for crucial defence, trade talks, external”.

The Times of India reported, external: “Thursday’s special welcome gesture is significant as most Western capitals are focused on outcomes of the Modi-Putin summit, hoping these would not provide the kind of validation Putin seeks for his actions in Ukraine.”

“This is Mr Putin’s first state visit to India since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, which is currently drawing global attention because of renewed peace efforts involving US President Donald Trump,” The Hindu reported, external.

Media expect the high-stakes talks between the two leaders to focus on strengthening defence, trade and energy cooperation.

When asked about how Russia and India planned to navigate energy trade in the backdrop of Trump's 25% punitive tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, Putin told India Today news channel that Russia's energy cooperation with India remains "unaffected by current conditions, fleeting political swings or the tragic events in Ukraine”.

He noted that there had been a slight decline in India’s purchase of Russian oil in the first nine months of this year, but said that overall trade remained steady.

He also said that Russian business entities had already built a solid and efficient commercial relationship with India that was based on mutual trust.

Image source, Reuters

In an interview with India Today, Putin commented on punitive US tariffs on India for buying Russian oil saying that India should have the same opportunities available to the US.

"The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn't India have the same privilege?," he asked.

"This question deserves thorough examination and we stand ready to discuss it, including with President Trump," he added.

Shruti Menon
BBC Verify

I’ve been monitoring Russian oil imports into India and there has been a slight rise in deliveries in November over October, according to preliminary tracking data from Kpler, a global real-time data and analytics provider.

This increase comes as US sanctions on two of the largest Russian refineries - Rosneft and Lukoil - took effect on 21 November.

The chart above shows that Russian barrels continue to dominate India’s oil mix in 2025 and monthly deliveries have stayed well above 1.6-2 million barrels per day, far higher than supplies from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE and US.

India is currently the largest buyer of seaborne Russian crude, followed by China. Turkey remains a distant third, underscoring how Asia remains a big market for Russian oil.

Nikhil Inamdar
BBC News, Mumbai

The biggest flashpoint in India’s relationship with the US, and the West in general, has been its purchase of discounted Russian oil - which shot up from barely 2.5% of imports before the war with Ukraine began in 2022 to around 35.8% in 2024-25.

India has been resolute in its stance of practising energy autonomy, saying it will import the cheapest oil possible to ensure the millions of Indians who live in poverty don’t have to cough up high costs for fuel.

Delhi has also accused Ukraine's allies of hypocrisy, pointing out that the European Union was continuing to import Russian energy, albeit at reduced levels.

Even in the face of new sanctions from the US and Europe, these purchases have remained steady. However, pressure is now beginning to show.

India’s largest conglomerate - Reliance Industries - has stopped importing Russian crude and overall imports have also reportedly started coming down since November.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor

With a population of nearly a 1.5 billion people and economic growth exceeding 8%, India is a hugely attractive market for Russian goods and resources - especially oil.

India - the world's third largest consumer of crude oil - has been buying large volumes from Russia since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

But earlier this year, the Trump administration slapped an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods for buying Russian oil, arguing that it was helping to fund the Kremlin's war chest - an accusation India denied.

But in the past months, orders from India for Russian oil have dropped. President Putin will be keen for India to keep buying.

For Moscow, weapons sale to India is another priority and reports say that India plans to buy state-of-the-art weapons from Russia.

Russia, hit by a labour shortage, also sees India as a valuable source of skilled workers.

You can read more of my analysis of the visit here.

At the meeting last night, Modi gave Putin a Russian translation of the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism’s holiest texts.

More than 2,000 years old, the Gita is part of the Mahabharata - one of Hinduism’s greatest epics - and at 700 verses, among the world’s longest poems. It is written as a battlefield dialogue between the warrior prince Arjuna and Krishna.

"The teachings of the Gita give inspiration to millions across the world," Modi wrote on X.

Image source, Narendra Modi/X

Sandro Gvindadze
BBC Monitoring journalist

Image source, ANI

Earlier in the day, Putin visited Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, where he left a short note in the visitor’s book, describing him as “one of the founders of the Indian state, the great philosopher and humanist”.

His “ideas about freedom, virtue and humanitarianism remain relevant to this day,” he wrote.

“Gandhi essentially anticipated the new, more just multipolar world order that is currently taking shape," Putin noted.

"In his letters to [Russian author] Leo Tolstoy, he reflected extensively on the future of the world - one free from dictates and hegemony, built on principles of equality, mutual respect and cooperation among nations.

"And these are precisely the principles and values that Russia and India are defending together on the international stage today,” the message read.

Jugal Purohit
Reporting from Delhi

A few weeks ago in Moscow, officials from both countries signed, external an initial agreement to build the SJ-100, a Russian short-haul passenger jet, in India.

With Putin's visit, the deal is back in the spotlight.

The costs and the timeline of the project have not been clarified yet.

This announcement is significant as India is the world’s third-largest aviation market, external. But Indian airlines will also watch for the safety record of the jet.

The aircraft has been involved in some accidents but United Aircraft Corporation, the SJ-100’s maker, says the jet offers a "high level of safety".

Sachin Gogoi
South Asia Editorial Lead, BBC Monitoring

One of the crucial yet less-discussed aspects of Putin's visit is his participation in the formal inauguration of the India bureau of Russia Today's (RT) news network on Friday.

RT's foray into India, in the aftermath of its operations being shut or curtailed in the West following the Ukraine war, is significant.

Analysts say the outlet is expected to proactively promote the Russian view and back India-Russia ties.

RT India has already announced a news-sharing agreement with India's public broadcaster Doordarshan. The Russian channel has released several episodes of a 10-part series called "Imperial Receipts with Dr Shashi Tharoor", which critically examines British rule and its impact on India.

Doordarshan has been broadcasting the series.

Minutes earlier, Modi and Putin spoke to the media from Hyderabad House in Delhi, which is the venue for their bilateral talks.

In his televised opening remarks, Putin said Russia was working on a "peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict" and thanked India for its efforts on the situation.

Modi, in turn, said that India was not neutral on the war and stood on "the side of peace".

The conflict should come to an end "through dialogue and diplomacy", he said.

"We support a peaceful solution to the conflict," the prime minister added.

Nikhil Inamdar
BBC News, Mumbai

The year started on a high for the India-US relationship.

PM Modi reunited with President Donald Trump at the White House. At their bilateral, Modi famously said if Trump’s signature catchphrase “MAGA” or “Make America Great Again” joined forces with “MIGA” or “Make India Great Again”, the India and US partnership could be a "MEGA" success.

But barely months later, that relationship was severely tested as Trump slapped an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports to the US, bringing the total levy to 50%, for Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil.

Trump’s adviser even called the Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war”, accusing Delhi of funding Russian aggression - a charge India repeatedly denied.

As Putin visits Delhi, India’s relationship with the US is on the mend. But its closeness to Russia has come at a cost.

India remains among the world’s most highly tariffed nations, even as it has been forced to gradually reduce its dependence on cheap Russian oil.

Image source, Getty Images

Putin’s visit to Delhi comes at a time when there's an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

The ICC alleges that the Russian leader is responsible for the unlawful deportation of children and their unlawful transfer from Ukraine to Russia and Russian-controlled areas.

Ukraine accuses Russia of abducting tens of thousands of children without the consent of their families. The Kremlin denies the charges and has previously said it was protecting children from the front line.

While the warrant, issued in 2023, does impact how Putin travels internationally, it won’t pose any challenges during this trip because the ICC can only exercise jurisdiction within its 125 member countries - and India is not one of them.

The Russian leader continues to travel to other countries too that are not members of the ICC, sidestepping the risk of arrest while maintaining key diplomatic ties.

In recent months, he has travelled to China and Kyrgyzstan, both outside the ICC’s jurisdiction.

Soutik Biswas
India Correspondent

Russia remains a key arms supplier to India, though its share of Indian defence imports has been gradually falling as Delhi seeks to diversify and boost domestic production.

Putin is expected to push sales of missile systems and fighter jets, even as US pressure complicates ties.

Defence cooperation, however, shows no sign of cooling. Sukhoi-30 jets still dominate India’s 29 fighter squadrons, and Moscow is offering its most advanced fighter, the Su-57, though no purchase decision has been made yet. India may also expand its S-400 air-defence arsenal.

For Delhi, continuing Russian defence ties is as much about operational continuity as strategic signalling - a delicate balancing act amid Western scrutiny.

Image source, Getty Images

In the India Today interview, Putin also spoke about military-technical cooperation between Delhi and Moscow, saying that India "stands out as one of our reliable and privileged partners".

"We are not simply selling technology - we are sharing it, and it is a very rare thing to see in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. It speaks to the level of trust between the two countries and the level of trust between the two peoples.

"We have a broad portfolio indeed, including naval construction, rocket and missile engineering, and aircraft engineering," he told India Today news channel.

As we reported earlier, he also mentioned that Russia was the only country in the world capable of building small nuclear power plants.

Arunoday Mukharji
BBC News, Delhi

Image source, Narendra Modi/X

There were smiles all around last evening when Vladimir Putin was welcomed by Narendra Modi, followed by a hug and a handshake between the two leaders.

The message to the world was loud and clear - Delhi’s relations with Moscow will not be dictated by pressure from the US.

The two leaders will also look to boost their trade and defence ties. But behind the photo-ops that we are seeing, Prime Minister Modi will be walking a tightrope.

He will be cautious that his proximity to Putin should not come at the cost of ties with Donald Trump, which have been unpredictable for some time.

Nikhil Inamdar
BBC News, Mumbai

We have been reporting on Putin's comments from an interview to Indian broadcaster India Today aired on Thursday.

Speaking to the channel, Putin questioned the US’s decision to penalise India for buying Russian energy.

He said the US itself still buys nuclear fuel from Russia.

“If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn't India have the same privilege?” Putin asked.

The US has accused India of funding Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine by purchasing discounted Russian oil. It has slapped an additional 25% penalty on Delhi over and above 25% tariffs on Indian goods exports, as the country ramped up its purchases of Russian oil in the past three years.

Putin also spoke about the need to expand the use of national currencies. He said 90% of trade payments between India and Russia are now settled in national currencies and not the US dollar.