External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, with the two sides discussing ways to deepen economic cooperation in areas including trade, energy, fertilisers and nuclear power.
Jaishankar arrived in Moscow on Sunday for a two-day visit, ahead of Putin's expected trip to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on September 12-13.
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The meeting comes as India and Russia seek to strengthen economic ties and expand cooperation across sectors amid a broader push to deepen their longstanding partnership.
Jaishankar told Putin that the two countries had held a meeting of the inter-governmental commission earlier in the day and had a "good report" on their economic cooperation.
"I think our economic cooperation, trade, energy, fertilisers, nuclear, other dimensions as well - I would be pleased to speak about it in detail. Overall, I think our economic cooperation has grown very significantly," Jaishankar said.
Putin said Russia was increasing fertiliser supplies to India and was prepared to continue doing so to meet the needs of the country's agricultural sector, according to state-run TASS news agency.
"We are doing everything we can to fully meet the needs of Indian farmers and the agricultural sector, increasing these supplies and standing ready to continue doing so," Putin was quoted as saying by TASS.
The Russian president also said bilateral trade had picked up this year after declining slightly in 2025.
"I am pleased to note that our trade has increased this year. It declined slightly last year, but it is growing this year," Putin was quoted as saying.
Putin said Jaishankar's visit reflected the depth of relations built between the two countries over decades, with cooperation spanning virtually all areas and involving their governments, parliaments and businesses.
Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings and a personal communication to Putin. He also said Modi looked forward to meeting the Russian president at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan before welcoming him to India for the BRICS summit.
"Prime Minister Modi looks forward to meeting you at the SCO summit, then welcoming you in India for the BRICS Summit, and in due course, as per your mutual convenience, having the annual summit," Jaishankar said.
The 2026 SCO summit is scheduled to be held in Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 1, while the BRICS summit will take place in New Delhi on September 12-13.
"So, we have, excellency, I think a very strong picture of cooperation," Jaishankar added.
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Earlier on Monday, Jaishankar held talks with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
At a meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation, which he co-chaired with Manturov, Jaishankar said bilateral goods trade had grown four-fold in five years, from around $13 billion in 2021-22 to nearly $60 billion in 2025-26.
However, he said the surge in trade had also been accompanied by a sharp widening of India's trade deficit with Russia, which rose from $6.6 billion to more than $50 billion over the same period.
"Addressing this imbalance is today one of our foremost priorities," Jaishankar said.
He said greater market access, the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers, stronger payment mechanisms and deeper business-to-business engagement would be crucial to narrowing the imbalance and achieving the shared target of $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.
"The India-Russia partnership has consistently demonstrated resilience and adaptability," Jaishankar said. "Even amidst a complex international landscape, our engagement has continued to deepen, reflecting the mutual interest and confidence that define our bilateral partnership."
Jaishankar is also scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his visit to discuss regional and global developments, the External Affairs Ministry said on Saturday.
The two ministers last met in Manila on July 22 on the sidelines of ASEAN-related ministerial meetings. They reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia.
At that meeting, Jaishankar also reiterated India's "strong concern" over the safety of Indian seafarers in the region.
