New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive to New Delhi for a two-day visit to India on Thursday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a private dinner after Putin reaches to India on the occasion of the 23^rd India-Russia annual summit.

The dinner is expected to be informal, providing both leaders an opportunity to set the tone before the formal summit. President Putin will begin his official engagements on Friday morning with a ceremonial welcome. He will then travel to Rajghat to pay respects at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, an engagement that has become standard for visiting heads of state.

This will be followed by the 23^rd India-Russia Annual Summit at Hyderabad House in the national capital. Prime Minister Modi will also host a working lunch for the Russian President and his delegation as part of the summit programme.

India is expected to press for expedited delivery of pending military hardware, particularly given delays in certain platforms since the war in Ukraine began.

The summit Key items expected to be discussed include additional S-400 air defence systems. India signed a USD 5 billion deal in 2018 for five S-400 units. Three squadrons have been delivered and two more are expected by mid-next year. The systems were used effectively during Operation Sindoor.

Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said discussions may include India’s interest in the Su-57 fifth-generation fighters. India’s purchases may decline for a brief period, though Russia is making efforts to sustain supplies, he added. India is currently evaluating next-generation platforms, with contenders such as the Rafale, F-21, F/A-18, and Euro-fighter Typhoon.

Energy security will feature prominently, with the impact of US sanctions on Indian imports of Russian crude oil expected to be a central topic. PM Modi and President Putin’s meeting, the defence ministers of both countries Rajnath Singh and Andrey Belousov are expected to sit down for talks on critical military hardware.