Devina Gupta
BBC Delhi business reporter

Delhi has turned into a fortress and security is tight at the venue of the joint business forum Bharat Mandapam - one of India's largest covention centres that hosts important global events, including the 2023 G20 Summit.

Security officials are conducting sweeping checks with sniffer dogs, handheld scanners and metal detectors.

Even before entering the main hall, I was stopped for additional verification and asked to show my government identity proof, something not usually required at similar events.

More than 100 business leaders and ministers from India and Russia will be meeting here to work out crucial trade agreements.

Putin is expected to visit the centre at 1500 local time (0930G).

...we've been reporting on President Putin's two-day visit to India. Here's a recap:

• He arrived on Thursday evening in Delhi and was greeted with a hug and handshake by PM Modi at the airport, followed by a private dinner
• Russian newspapers say the leaders spoke for 2.5 hours last night, but details haven't been released yet
• This is Putin's first visit to India since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022
• It also comes against the backdrop of US efforts to broker peace - but Putin warned again on Thursday that Ukraine must withdraw from the Donbas region or Russia will seize it
• On Friday morning, Putin received a guard of honour at the presidential palace where he was welcomed by Modi and President Droupadi Murmu
• He has a busy day ahead, with several meetings lined up, including formal talks with Modi. On the table will be business negotiations and talks over a range of issues, including energy, defence and trade and strategic cooperation

• Modi will be walking a tightrope. Cautious, that his proximity to Putin should not come at the cost of ties with Donald Trump which have been unpredictable for some time

Image source, Reuters

While Putin hasn't spoken to the media yet after his arrival, his comments in an interview to an Indian channel, aired last last night, made global headlines.

Speaking to India Today channel, Putin warned again that Ukrainian troops would have to withdraw from Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia would seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.

"Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories," he told India Today. Moscow controls around 85% of Donbas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out ceding territory.

Putin's comments came after US President Donald Trump said his negotiators discussing a US peace plan believed Russia's leader "would like to end the war".

The original iteration of the US peace plan proposed to hand over areas of the Donbas still under Ukrainian control to the de facto control of Putin - but the negotiators presented a modified version in Moscow on Tuesday.

Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who was in Moscow, was due to meet the head of Ukraine's national security council for talks in Miami on Thursday.

Read more here.

Nikhil Inamdar
BBC News, Mumbai

India and Russia could announce greater civil nuclear cooperation, Putin told Indian broadcaster India Today in an interview that was aired on Thursday night local time.

“Russia is probably the only country in the world today capable of building – and actually does build – small nuclear power plants. Such plants are already operational in Russia, and we can make them either floating or ground-based," he said.

Earlier this year, India announced a target to produce 100GW of nuclear power by 2070, up more than 10-fold from its current capacity, with small modular reactors playing an important role in this expansion.

Prior to Putin’s visit, Indian officials had also met with Russian nuclear power company Rosatom to discuss the development of both large and small-scale plants.

In the interview, Putin mentioned the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in southern India - which has reactors built with Russian assistance - as an example of Indo-Russian collaboration in the sphere.

Image source, Getty Images

Vikas Pandey
India editor

It’s a high-stakes visit for both Putin and Modi.

For the Russian president, the visit is a way of showing that he still counts global leaders in Asia as his friends. But there is more than just geopolitics to this visit.

Some of Russia’s top business leaders are accompanying Putin and they would want better access to India’s burgeoning market of 1.4 billion people.

Some big-ticket defence deals are expected to be announced, including India’s potential purchase of air defence systems and fighter jets.

For Modi, the visit presents an opportunity to show to the world that he won’t come under pressure from the West to sacrifice India’s ties with Russia.

Both Russia and India want to increase their bilateral trade to $100bn by 2030, up from the current $68.72bn.

However, it’s heavily skewed in Russia’s favour and relies heavily on India’s oil and defence purchases.

Modi would want to correct this by gaining better access for Indian goods in the Russian market.

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor

“How the elephant and the bear are seeking new paths through the fog of sanctions” is the headline in the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets.

“Politics, economics, military cooperation – all this is mixed together like the different smells of the streets of Delhi.”

Nezavisimaya Gazeta runs with “New Delhi is feeling around for a balance between Moscow and Washington.

“Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to India comes at a difficult time in relations between the two countries. India is under big pressure from America to force it to stop buying Russian energy and weapons. Prime Minister Modi is being careful to avoid a break with Russia.”

In its reporting, the Russian government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta doesn’t miss an opportunity to take a swipe at the UK.

“The whole world understood: India is a great power. It cannot be treated like a British colony.”

The paper quotes President Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov saying that last night’s “informal dinner” between the leaders of India and Russia “is one of the key points of the visit, because during such confidential face-to-face contacts, the most urgent, most sensitive and most important issues of both bilateral relations and the international situation are discussed. Politics is made at these kind of meetings”.

We are hearing from Russian state media that the two leaders met last night and held a long chat.

But we don't know what they discussed as there has been no press release so far.

Just a short while back, President Putin was welcomed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan - the Indian president's house.

He was given a 21-gun salute upon arrival and was greeted by Prime Minister Modi and President Droupadi Murmu. The national anthems of both countries were played by an army band as the leaders stood in attention.

Here are some photos from the welcome:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, ANI

The Russian president has received a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of India's president.

He was seen shaking hands with President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi before receiving the guard of honour.

As we reported earlier, this is the first programme today in his official schedule. He is now heading to Rajghat to pay tributes to Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi.

Image source, ANI

Arunoday Mukharji
BBC News, Delhi

Standing in the vicinity of the Rashtrapati Bhavan (presidential palace) in Delhi, we just watched President Putin’s convoy arrive. The streets leading up to the president’s residence are lined with Indian and Russian flags.

There is tight security and heavy police deployment and barricades have been put up all around to stop regular traffic. Upon arrival of the cavalcade, we could hear the customary 21-gun-salute to welcome the guest.

Soutik Biswas
India Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

India’s enduring partnership with Russia remains a key pillar of strategic autonomy - even as Delhi deepens ties with the West.

First, Russia has been a key source of discounted crude oil, helping support India’s energy security and manage inflation, even though purchases have been tempered by US sanctions. Second, the legacy of defence cooperation - joint manufacturing, supply of spares and licence‑built platforms - still underpins India’s military readiness at a time of regional uncertainty.

Third, preserving ties with Moscow gives Delhi diplomatic leverage in a multipolar world: engaging Russia balances Western influence and helps it keep options open on global issues.

Putin’s visit thus offers Delhi a chance to reinforce energy, trade, defence and geopolitical buffers - even as India diversifies its partnerships.

BBC's Steve Rosenberg and Devina Gupta discuss what India and Russia are hoping to achieve from President Putin's visit.

The Russian president arrived in Delhi last night and has a packed schedule today.

He will first be given a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan - the president’s residence - at 11:00 local time [05:30 GMT] before going to Rajghat to pay tributes to Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi.

He will then meet PM Modi for talks at 11:50 local time [06:20 GMT] and attend an India-Russia business event. In the evening, he will meet President Droupadi Murmu before flying home at 21:00 local time [15:30 GMT].

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor

The Kremlin enjoys demonstrating that Western efforts to isolate it over the war in Ukraine have failed.

Flying to India and meeting Modi is one way of doing that.

So is travelling to China and holding talks with Xi Jinping, as Putin did three months ago. He also met Modi on that trip.

The image of the three leaders smiling and chatting sent a clear message that, despite the war in Ukraine, Moscow has powerful allies who support the concept of a "multipolar world".

Vikas Pandey
India editor

Putin’s visit to Delhi is being closely watched across the world.

India has so far resisted pressure from the West to criticise Russia over the war in Ukraine, and there are no signs that Modi would do that during this visit.

Some US officials have gone as far as accusing India of funding what they called Putin’s war in Ukraine. They argue that India’s increased purchase of Russia oil is indirectly funding the war - an accusation Delhi has strongly rejected.

Just this week, the German, French and UK ambassadors in India wrote a rare joint article, external in a major newspaper criticising Russia's stance on Ukraine.

Modi has the tough task of honouring a time-tested relationship while leaving enough room to continue working with the West.

President Putin touched down in Delhi late on Thursday, stepping off the plane to a rare personal welcome from Modi - a warm handshake and hug underlining the longstanding ties between the two countries.

This is Putin’s first visit to India since the Ukraine war began about four years ago. There was tight security at the airport and the surrounding roads were draped in Russian flags and welcome banners as the leaders travelled to Modi’s residence for a private dinner.

All eyes are on what happens today, when the two leaders will shift to business negotiations and hold talks over a range of issues, including energy, defence and trade and strategic cooperation.

This is Putin’s first visit to India since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Since then, global lines have been redrawn and Putin has mostly been isolated from the world, travelling less frequently and only to visit trusted allies.

He last visited India in December 2021 - two months before the war - for the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit.

Image source, Getty Images

That was a much shorter visit, lasting just five hours, amid the Covid pandemic.

Delhi and Moscow used the time to sign several agreements across a range of sectors, including trade, energy, intellectual property and education.

The countries also signed a programme for defence cooperation for 10 years - to run up to 2031.

Modi and Putin have met at other international summits since then and, last year, the Indian prime minister travelled to Russia to attend the countries’ annual summit.

Image source, Reuters

India and Russia have been close allies for decades and Putin and Modi share a warm relationship.

The leaders will meet for talks soon and the countries are expected to sign a number of deals.

For Moscow, weapons sales to India are a priority and reports say Delhi plans to purchase state-of-the-art Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets and the upgraded S-500 air defence systems.

Modi would also want Russia's economy to open up for Indian products.

But aside from the trade negotiations, geopolitics is also at stake here. Putin’s visit comes at a time when Russia is facing international sanctions because of its war in Ukraine.

By flying to India and meeting Modi, Putin is sending a message to the West that its efforts to isolate Moscow have failed.

Hello and welcome to our live page on Vladimir Putin’s visit to India for the annual bilateral summit between the two countries.

The Russian president arrived in the capital, Delhi, on Thursday evening and met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over dinner.

Friday is expected to be a day packed with meetings, receptions and conferences - and key deals are expected to be signed before the Russian leader flies back to Moscow tonight.

We’ll be bringing you live updates through the day - so stay tuned!