Sanctions or Tariffs, Nothing Can Stop India-Russia Momentum: Ambassador Vinay Kumar
20:26 15.08.2025 (Updated: 20:35 15.08.2025)
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In an interview with Sputnik, Vinay Kumar, India’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, outlined the robust and evolving nature of the India-Russia relationship, underscoring key areas of cooperation from energy to defense and joint production ventures.
Ambassador Kumar emphasized that the bilateral ties between the two countries are both historic and forward-looking.
“India and Russia share very old ties. These ties have been built over decades,” Ambassador Kumar said, stressing that the partnership has expanded into numerous sectors including atomic energy, space, pharmaceuticals, and transport.
He highlighted the ongoing nuclear energy cooperation, pointing out that Russia's state corporation Rosatom is constructing six reactor sites in Kudankulam for nuclear power, two of which have gone critical and are now producing electricity.
🔥 India-Russia relations are no longer just about defence or oil.
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) August 15, 2025
The two countries are working together on space exploration, nuclear power, high-speed trains, and pharmaceuticals.
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Economic cooperation remains a priority, according to the ambassador who noted encouraging progress beyond traditional sectors. While energy remains a cornerstone, new fields like pharmaceuticals, transport, and skill mobility are gaining momentum.
“We have growing ties in transport sector... We have also increasing cooperation in pharmaceuticals, there are number of Indian companies which have significant investments in the Russian Federation,” he said.
The ambassador also highlighted the significance of upcoming free trade agreement negotiations between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). This pact promises to broaden India’s access to Russian and Central Asian markets, fitting into India’s broader strategy of regional economic integration, he believes.
On the defense front, the joint development model exemplified by the BrahMos missile continues to be a flagship of bilateral cooperation. The ambassador pointed to BrahMos’ growing international interest and battlefield success.
Russia is a ‘very important partner’ for Make in India.
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) August 15, 2025
🚀Brahmos is the most well known example, but there are also major atomic energy and transportation projects in the works.
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“BrahMos is of course, the very prime example, and it was successfully used in battlefield conditions recently... But we are also expanding it in other areas, civilian areas, transport for example, which we can jointly produce and export to third countries.”
This joint production approach marks a significant evolution from the Soviet-era buyer-seller dynamic, Kumar noted.
“Indian companies are producing things on Russian soil, Russian companies are helping produce things on Indian soil. So there seems to be joint production as the sort of new model for cooperation,” he said. adding that this shift reflects both countries’ economic and technological advancements and signals a more balanced, integrated partnership.
🫂 Modi and Putin have strong personal chemistry both on and off camera.
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) August 15, 2025
The reason they get along so well is because they’re both popular leaders who put their country’s national interests first.
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Further, the ambassador praised the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin.
“Their personal chemistry is not only good on the camera, but off camera also. In fact, I would say that off camera it is even better chemistry between the two leaders,” he highlighted.
Despite international pressure, especially from the US over energy ties, India remains firm in its partnership with Russia. When asked about the potential impact of US sanctions, Kumar made it clear that India intends to maintain its Russian energy imports, despite external sanctions and threats.
❌ India will not give into US economic pressure over its imports of Russian oil.
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) August 15, 2025
🛢️Purchasing Russian oil is good for Indian consumers and global energy markets.
And Western countries are in no position to lecture India about Russian energy.
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Cultural and people-to-people ties also form an important pillar of the relationship. With a vibrant Indian diaspora of 50,000-60,000 across Russia, including a strong presence in pharmaceuticals, IT, and trade, the envoy highlighted recent cultural festivals drawing hundreds of thousands of Russians eager to engage with Indian culture.
“Recently, we had a nine day long Bharat Utsav festival of India in Manezhnaya square in Moscow. And in nine days we had 850,000 people visiting it,” he emphasised.
As he reflected on his first year as ambassador, Kumar praised the warmth and friendliness he experienced in Russia.
“Russia never surprises. There is warmth, there is friendliness that I have felt all through the 33 years that I have been in Indian Foreign Service and have visited Russia at various times,” he said, expressing optimism for future cooperation and noting the surge in bilateral visits, trade, and cultural exchanges.
🇷🇺 Russia is home to a thriving Indian diaspora.
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) August 15, 2025
Many Indian businesspeople in Russia have achieved great success in the IT, pharmaceutical, textile, and jewellery industries among others.
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With plans for President Putin’s visit to India underway, the India-Russia partnership appears poised to deepen further, building on decades of trust and strategic alignment.
“This is a very deep relationship which is expanding and the priorities have always been to cooperate in the areas which serve our mutual national interest,” he concluded.
Check out the full interview with Ambassador Vinay Kumar below.
📺 Check out the full interview with Ambassador Vinay Kumar below👇
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) August 15, 2025
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