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The Russia-India Business Forum 2025, led by the Roscongress Foundation and held alongside President Vladimir Putin's state visit, concluded with a unified commitment to expand trade, investment, and sectoral collaboration across both countries.
According to a release, over two days, the Forum convened senior officials, industry leaders, investors, and policy institutions for dialogues, B2B meetings, and multi-sector consultations aimed at shaping long-term bilateral growth. Discussions across the Forum underscored the growing convergence in pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, machinery, food products, technical textiles, and marine equipment, while also identifying new joint-venture opportunities in medical technology, hospital infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI, digital innovation, and advanced manufacturing. Delegates emphasised the importance of strengthening SME participation, improving logistics and regulatory frameworks, and enabling stable cross-border trade mechanisms. The Forum also explored cooperation in tourism, education, research, skilling, and cultural exchange through structured travel programmes, student and faculty mobility, collaborative research initiatives, and innovation-led academic partnerships. Connectivity enhancements -- maritime, rail, and digital -- were flagged as essential to building predictable and resilient supply chains. "The potential between our countries extends far beyond traditional sectors," said Alexander Stuglev, CEO of the Roscongress Foundation. "We are entering a pragmatic, opportunity-rich phase where tourism, medical technology, advanced engineering, AI, education and joint ventures can accelerate growth on both sides. Our priority is to build transparent, efficient mechanisms that bring Indian and Russian businesses together and create long-term value. This includes supporting SMEs, encouraging joint ventures in high-growth sectors, and ensuring that trade and investment flows are stable, secure and future-ready. With these efforts, we can transform the India-Russia partnership into one of the world's most robust and opportunity-driven economic corridors." During the two-day forum, a series of major agreements were signed across media, industry, pharmaceuticals, and technology, underscoring deepening India-Russia cooperation. Key developments included a news exchange partnership between TASS and the Press Trust of India, and new collaboration in alcoholic beverage production between Abrau-Durso and Indospirit Beverages. Sberbank and India's CSIR also moved forward on an agreement focused on scientific and industrial cooperation. Industrial cooperation saw further momentum with expanded engagement between the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Indian industry bodies, as well as a general cooperation agreement between Omega Elevators and SCAD Tech. In the pharmaceutical sector, BDR Pharmaceuticals, the Kaluga Region, and Pharmasyntez signed an Agreement of Intent to set up an API production facility in Kaluga. SME-focused collaboration advanced with a trilateral MoU among Delovaya Rossiya, the All-India Association of Industries, and the World Trade Center Mumbai. Media and cultural ties were strengthened through MoUs signed between Prasar Bharati and Gazprom-Media, and separately between the NFDC and Gazprom-Media to enhance cooperation in film, content exchange, and cultural initiatives. The Forum's outcomes support the objectives discussed during President Putin's visit, including raising bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030, building resilient supply chains, advancing industrial cooperation, and supporting deeper engagement between financial institutions to enable smooth trade and investment flows. The Roscongress Foundation will coordinate follow-up delegations, multi-region dialogues, thematic investment forums, and structured B2B sessions to convert Forum discussions into sustained partnerships and sector-level outcomes, the release added. (ANI)
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