Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said President Putin’s visit to India is important. He stated that India must maintain strong bilateral relations with Russia, China, and the United States, and should not let one relationship affect another. India should have the freedom to decide how it engages with each country.
He added that India has maintained good relations with all three nations, though the focus changes at different times. According to him, experts from both sides have already held a lot of talks and worked on possible agreements, that may be signed during Putin’s visit, which would be beneficial for India.
Also, World Trade Center Mumbai Chairman and International Director of the World Trade Centers Association, Vijay Kalantri, said that Putin’s visit marks a significant moment for India. He noted that bilateral trade, which earlier stood at 15–16 billion dollars, has now increased to 65 billion dollars and is expected to reach 100 billion dollars by next year, calling it a major development.
Kalantri added that Russia is set to become one of India’s largest trading partners. Although imports remain high and the trade deficit persists, India is looking for new opportunities in Russia. He said that this is one of the key reasons why Putin’s visit is important and questioned whether Russia would offer India greater access and space in its market.
