Indo-Pacific — 2026-04-16

Russian First Deputy PM Manturov in New Delhi to accelerate India-Russia 2030 economic framework

Russian First Deputy PM Denis Manturov met PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar, FM Sitharaman, and NSA Doval in New Delhi this week to advance the India-Russia Economic Cooperation Programme through 2030 adopted in December. The agenda covers trade, fertilisers, connectivity, tech, critical minerals, and the locally-produced Su-57 track. India is due to receive a fourth S-400 squadron next month with the final squadron due by November; Russia is simultaneously positioning as Delhi's hedge energy supplier amid the Hormuz closure.

Analysis
Manturov's inclusion of NSA Doval in what public readouts frame as an economic visit signals a security dimension the official agenda deliberately obscures: critical-minerals cooperation and Su-57 localization are not routine industrial talking points, per single-source Indian defense-industry reporting with informal MOD access. New Delhi is using the Hormuz closure to lock in discounted Urals crude supply while finalizing S-400 transfers ahead of any future secondary-sanctions enforcement window, with the fourth squadron arriving next month and the fifth by November. The simultaneous hosting of Manturov and acceptance of Macron's Hormuz invitation in the same news cycle is a pointed signal to Washington that Indian non-alignment holds under pressure. The Trump administration's tolerance for this dual-track hedging is likely to erode in the coming months once the Iran deal closes and secondary-sanctions enforcement cycles resume.
2 sources
  1. Russia Denis Manturov In New Delhi To Advance India-Russia Economic Cooperation - Indian Defence News
  2. New Delhi hosts key India-Russia industrial talks - Business Upturn

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