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On January 1, 2026, the BRICS chairmanship officially passed to India. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to India Denis Alipov, in an exclusive interview with the BRICS-Russia Expert Council, spoke about the current state of Russian-Indian relations, India’s role as an influential center of power and cooperation within BRICS.
BRICS EC: Russia and India traditionally call their relations a «special and privileged strategic partnership». How do you assess the current state of this partnership against the backdrop of a constantly changing world order?
Denis Alipov: Russian-Indian relations throughout the entire time since the establishment of embassies — and in 2027 we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries — have invariably been a unique example of friendly ties based on equality, mutual respect and trust, coincidence or closeness of positions on international problems. Commitment to these principles has made our relations valuable in themselves and resistant to external circumstances. As before, so now, diverse, mutually beneficial interaction with New Delhi is an unconditional priority of Russia’s foreign policy. Its importance is steadily growing. We are key partners of India in such strategically significant areas as energy security, including in the nuclear industry, military-technical cooperation, space, AI, Arctic research, and the agricultural sector. It is important that the consistent expansion of cooperation meets the fundamental national interests of the two countries.
2025 was marked by two significant dates at once: the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership and the 15th anniversary of its elevation to a special and privileged level. The main event, of course, was the 23rd bilateral summit on December 4-5 in New Delhi, within the framework of which the state visit of Russian President V.V. Putin took place. During the negotiations with Prime Minister of India N. Modi, a mutual intention was confirmed to transform ties to a new quality in accordance with the requirements of the time and the needs of our complementary economies.
To create favorable external conditions, we jointly promote multipolarity and reform of global governance. To this end, we closely coordinate in the UN, the G20, as well as BRICS — we will fully support the Indian chairmanship of the association in 2026.
BRICS EC: Economic and technological interaction between Russia and India is actively developing despite external restrictions. Which areas of cooperation do you consider the most promising in the medium and long term?
Denis Alipov: Priority attention is paid to the mentioned tracks. The colossal potential of economic cooperation is evidenced by record values of mutual trade. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India, in January-October 2025 its volume amounted to 53.8 billion US dollars. Russia retains its position as India’s fourth largest trading partner, including leadership in oil supplies (about 30-35%), petroleum products (28%), sunflower oil (51%), and fertilizers (21%). Despite outright attempts to undermine Russian-Indian ties, we are jointly finding ways to adapt to new conditions.
We manage to maintain a good pace in solving the most important task of diversifying economic relations. Thus, significant impetus was given to work on increasing Indian imports to Russia — a business forum held within the framework of the State Visit of the Russian President in 2025 was dedicated to this topic. Russia is ready to increase purchases in India of goods and services across a broad range: machinery and automotive components, electrical equipment and electronics, textiles, cosmetics, household appliances, pharmaceutical substances, agricultural goods, etc. Prospects are opening up for expanding mutual access to agricultural markets, including seafood, as well as for creating joint ventures for the production of fertilizers.
Business contacts and interregional ties have intensified many times over. Direct mutual settlements have become more independent: the share of national currencies in them has reached 97%, we have moved to a new level of banking interaction based on national payment systems. The full-scale implementation of alternative logistics projects will bring great benefits: the North-South ITC, the Chennai-Vladivostok sea corridor and the Northern Sea Route. The sphere of labor mobility is acquiring a more orderly character, which can contribute to the expansion of business and interpersonal contacts.
A notable step was the launch of the authorized economic operator mechanism. The creation of joint trade and industrial associations and further reduction of trade barriers are in demand. Among the priority guidelines for the near future, one can single out the conclusion of an FTA between the EAEU and India, negotiations on which began in November 2025.
The high status of bilateral relations is characterized by the successful progress of cooperation on unique high-tech projects. Russia occupies a leading position in India in the field of military-technical cooperation, offering partners advanced systems and confirming in practice its readiness for deep localization of their production in accordance with the «Make in India» initiative, including within the framework of the fifth-generation fighter project based on the Su-57E. We remain the only country successfully cooperating with New Delhi in the field of «peaceful atom» — in addition to the flagship Kudankulam NPP project, we are conducting a dialogue on small modular reactors and floating nuclear power plants, as well as non-energy use of nuclear technologies.
Cooperation is expanding in petrochemicals, metallurgy, railway engineering, shipbuilding, space exploration, ICT, fintech, AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, biomedicine, materials science, and the development of «smart cities». A real breakthrough in the aviation industry will be joint work on the production in India of the medium-haul Superjet-100 aircraft that are in demand here, as well as the supply of updated Il-114-300 turboprop aircraft, which were successfully demonstrated at the airshow in Hyderabad on January 28-31, 2025. Relevant agreements have already been reached.
I am confident that dynamic progress in these and other areas will contribute to the fulfillment of the task confirmed by the leaders to reach trade turnover of 100 billion US dollars by 2030. The Program for the Development of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030 adopted at the summit sets clear guidelines for this.
Ambassador of Russia to India Denis Alipov
BRICS EC: India plays an increasingly prominent role in global politics and economics. How, in your opinion, has its foreign policy strategy changed over the past decade, and what opportunities are opening up today for deepening Russian-Indian interaction? India traditionally adheres to the course of strategic autonomy. How does this approach affect its relations with Russia and New Delhi’s position on key international issues?
Denis Alipov: A multi-vector foreign policy has always been part of the DNA of India’s strategic vision. India was one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, whose participants sought their own path of development after a long period of colonial subjugation, fought poverty and technical backwardness. At the same time, they did not seek to participate in the Cold War either on the side of the Western bloc or as part of the socialist camp. The founding fathers of modern India determined the main course for building mutually beneficial relations on an equal basis with all foreign partners. The current diplomatic concepts of New Delhi largely retain continuity both in terms of multi-vector approach and the importance of strategic autonomy, that is, the ability to make independent decisions in responding to the challenges facing the country.
Along with a special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia, India is building strategic relations with the US, the EU, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. This is a natural and understandable paradigm that should not cause surprise. On the contrary, the policy of the collective West, which openly demands that India curtail ties with Russia, is alarming. India does not accept such a «zero-sum game» and in the current conditions of a highly polarized international dialogue takes an equidistant position. This applies to the Ukrainian crisis and other conflict issues.
BRICS EC: Cooperation within BRICS remains one of the key multilateral formats for both countries. What role does India play today as BRICS chair in 2026 in shaping the association’s agenda in the context of its expansion and strengthening the dialogue of BRICS with partner countries and states of the Global Majority?
Denis Alipov: Each BRICS participant plays its own unique role and makes an important contribution to creating favorable conditions for the progressive development and enhancement of the socio-economic, innovative and human potential of the member countries. At the same time, we are all united by the focus on promoting a civilized transition to a more just multipolar world order.
We welcome the intention of the Indian chairmanship to preserve and build up the dynamics of multi-profile cooperation in the BRICS format in all three main directions: politics and security, economy and finance, cultural contacts.
The theme of the Indian year is «Strengthening Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Stability». Under this motto, we will deepen dialogue in the field of combating terrorism and the safe use of ICT, and promote an increase in the role of developing countries in global governance institutions. Concrete steps will continue to develop trade and investment ties in the association, which will be laid down in the BRICS Economic Partnership Strategy for the period up to 2030. The document will define the main tasks of our joint work on issues related to the multilateral trading system, the digital economy, financial cooperation and sustainable development.
At the same time, in the spirit of continuity, it is important to implement previously reached agreements. Against the backdrop of growing protectionism and the ongoing practice of applying unilateral illegitimate restrictions, the formation of mechanisms for supporting practical cooperation that are resistant to external risks is of particular relevance. In this regard, we see the flagship projects launched during Russia’s BRICS chairmanship in 2024 as promising — the cross-border payment initiative, the settlement and payment infrastructure, the reinsurance company, the investment platform, and the grain exchange.
The Indian chairmanship is called upon to create additional opportunities for intensifying contacts along the line of foreign ministries and security council heads, sectoral departments, promoting the inter-parliamentary dimension, and expanding expert, business, scientific, technological and humanitarian ties. I am convinced that new agreements will give a noticeable impetus to our cooperation on the issues of national currencies, the introduction of AI, business support, and combating new challenges.
The increase in the number of BRICS members has enriched the palette of national approaches and opened new facets and horizons of interaction. At the same time, the principles that underlie it remain unchanged — equality, consensus, openness and mutual respect. Such a model of cooperation allows the states of the association to conduct frank dialogue without any dictate, to promote a positive, non-confrontational agenda in world affairs. The Russian and Brazilian chairmanships in 2024 and 2025 were held taking into account the task of helping new participants adapt, and this was largely achieved, despite the frankly gloomy forecasts of ill-wishers about difficulties for BRICS due to differences in their potentials and positions on certain issues. I am confident that during the Indian year we will continue constructive joint work so that our forum becomes established in an expanded format.
It is equally important to actively involve partner countries in the extensive architecture of interaction mechanisms where this is appropriate and in demand. In general, by attracting developing states of the Global South to BRICS events within the framework of expanded formats, including «outreach»/»BRICS plus», the association acts as a flagship of multilateralism and a conductor of ideas for updating the global governance system with an emphasis on enhancing the role of the countries of the Global Majority in it and overcoming global imbalances. The interest in dialogue with BRICS members on the part of the «Southerners» is colossal.
BRICS EC: What message about Russia, in your opinion, is important today to convey to the Indian public — in the context of ongoing global changes and the future of bilateral relations?
Denis Alipov: Given the high level of mutual understanding, I would like to emphasize that Moscow and New Delhi follow the same path, realizing their priorities with reliance on each other. We see a strong and developed India as one of the pillars of the emerging multipolar world order and fully welcome its desire to gain a well-deserved place among the leading powers. This is facilitated by our contribution to ensuring the energy and food security of Indian partners, building up their defense potential, as well as supporting justified aspirations for a permanent «registration» in the UN Security Council. In the course of communication both with the political leadership and with the general public of India, I have repeatedly become convinced that Russia is perceived as one of the civilizational poles in the global world order and has an independent and irreplaceable value for India. The results of practical cooperation confirm this approach.
Russian-Indian relations can rightfully be called a good example of interstate ties that fully meet national interests. We are committed to their further deepening and diversification, strengthening their resilience to external factors to ensure progressive innovative development of our economies. At the same time, we can and should each time set increasingly ambitious plans for ourselves and make maximum use of our available human, technological and resource potential in their implementation. Our countries only benefit from closer mutual integration.
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