India and Russia Military Partnership: India and Russia have again sat down to talk about defence ties. The latest round was the 5th Sub Working Group (Land) meeting under the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation, or IRIGC-M&MTC. The Indian Army said on X that the meeting was another step in building the defence bond between the two sides. It also said the talks were meant to improve learning, working together and military strength.
The Army used the line, “Both sides held productive deliberations aimed at enhancing mutual learning, operational synergy and bilateral military capabilities, further reinforcing the longstanding India-Russia defence partnership.” The delegation also visited the Shatrujeet Brigade to look for more ways to cooperate.
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The IRIGC-M&MTC is the main structure used by India and Russia to guide military-technical cooperation. It has working groups and sub-groups that meet on a regular basis to review defence projects and fresh ideas. In October 2025, India’s Ministry of Defence said the 5th meeting of the Working Group on Military Cooperation had already been held in New Delhi, which shows how active this channel has been.
Lavrov talks about bigger plans
The defence talks came as Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke about deeper cooperation with India during his visit to New Delhi in May 2026. In the press briefing after the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, he said India and Russia had discussed defence manufacturing, space work and fertiliser supplies. He also said the two sides had talked about “the key areas of our privileged strategic partnership” and about ways to “improve the mechanisms of cooperation” so their ties can stay strong even under pressure from other countries.
Lavrov also said the road ahead includes joint weapons production and more work in the space sector. He added that Russia wants to keep helping India with energy needs too. In the same round of talks, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The Indian side has said that the two leaders reviewed progress since the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit held in December 2025.
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Putin’s BRICS visit
Another big detail is the BRICS summit planned for New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend. The Russian Embassy in South Africa quoted Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov on X, saying, “President of Russia Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 – Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov,” and Indian and Russian media have also reported the same plan. This would be Putin’s second visit to India in about a year, after his trip for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit in December 2025.
Taken together, the Army meeting, Lavrov’s talks and the planned BRICS visit all point in the same direction. India and Russia are keeping their partnership active in defence, energy, fertilisers, space and wider diplomacy. The relationship is being pushed forward through regular meetings, not just big summit photos. That is where the real muscle of the tie sits.
