Indian Council of World Affairs

The Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), in collaboration with the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University), hosted the 4th edition of the India-Russia Heads of Think-Tanks (HoTT) Forum on 11 November 2025 at New Delhi. 

In the inaugural session, remarks were delivered by Ms. Nutan Kapoor Mahawar, Acting Director General & Additional Secretary, ICWA; Dr. Maxim A. Suchkov, Director, Institute for International Studies (IfIS), MGIMO University; Mr. Mayank Kumar, Joint Secretary (Eurasia), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; and H.E. Mr. Denis Alipov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India. 

Discussions in the inaugural session highlighted the solid foundation of India-Russia relations which is based on a shared understanding of each other’s perspectives. Both sides noted the significance of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to India as it comes amid the ongoing geopolitical churn, rising conflicts, tense situations, and the polarizing rhetoric in the world today. The speakers shared a positive prognosis of President Putin’s impending visit and expressed confidence that the conclusion of the India-Russia Summit would lend a semblance of reason, predictability and direction not only to India-Russia relations alone but also to India-Russia relations as a factor of regional and global stability. The Indian side also highlighted that while the country pursues a multi-aligned foreign policy, it is also conscious of the resilience of the India-Russia ties which is evident in the space given to one another. 

The first session of the meeting focused on the theme "Geopolitical Turbulence and Multipolarity: Perspectives from India and Russia." It was chaired by Amb. Ajay Bisaria, former Joint Secretary (Eurasia) & Indian Envoy to Canada, Pakistan, Poland, and Lithuania and Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Speakers in the session included Prof. Sanjay Pandey, Professor, Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU); Dr. Maxim A. Suchkov, Director, IfIS, MGIMO University; Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, Senior Research Fellow, ICWA; Dr. Lydia Kulik, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences & Head of India Studies, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO; and Dr. Himani Pant, Research Fellow, ICWA. 

Discussions on multipolarity showed both convergences and nuances in India-Russia positions. Both the countries believe that multipolarity will contribute to greater stability and predictability to international relations and that it is the way forward. However, for Russia, multipolarity is also about the receding power of the US, de-Americanising the international order; the global governance institutions, and enhancing its own position as a major pole. For India, a multipolar world order is about distributed power, distributed responsibilities to maintain the international order. It is more about shared responsibilities and duties than about influence. At the same time, India also sees a multipolar world order as being conducive to its own rise and growth. An important point that emerged in the discussions was the importance to foreground social considerations related to issues like structure of family, demography, migration, health, education in narratives surrounding a world in transition. Speakers agreed that the New World Order is not only going to be about geo-politics or geo-economics but also equally, if not more, about social transformation. 

Speakers from both sides also shared views on reformed multilateralism. The importance of renewing the agendas of regional bodies like SCO and CICA was emphasized. Strengthening India’s association with EAEU was also discussed. Speakers also discussed India’s forthcoming Presidency of BRICS as a possible avenue of India-Russia cooperation in this context. Indian side expressed the view that multilateralism reinforces multipolarity. 

The second session focused on the theme "Eurasian Outlook for Stability and Prosperity: Shared Perspectives. " It was chaired by Dr. Maxim A. Suchkov, Director, IfIS, MGIMO University. Speakers in the session included Prof. Rajan Kumar, Professor, Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies. SIS, JNU; Dr. Irina Bolgova, Deputy Director, IfIS, MGIMO University; Dr. Athar Zafar, Senior Research Fellow, ICWA; Dr. Julia Melnikova, Programme Manager, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC); and Dr. Anwesha Ghosh, Research Fellow, ICWA. Discussions on Eurasia highlighted how Russia as a great power is contributing to the security, stability and prosperity of the Eurasian region through bilateral relationships as well as through engagement in the multilateral fora in which Russia enjoys a leading role. Meanwhile, India’s Eurasian engagement is growing, including through multilateral organizations, but it faces severe challenges from threats like terrorism and radicalization in Af-Pak region and lack of overland connectivity. Both sides agreed that India-Russia partnership is a key pillar of their respective Eurasian outlooks.   

The third session focused on the theme "Indo-Pacific & Maritime Security". It was chaired by Capt. Sarabjeet S. Parmar, Distinguished Fellow, Council for Strategic and Defence Research (CSDR). Speakers included Dr. Vasily Kashin, Director, Center for European and International Studies, Higher School of Economics (HSE) University, Moscow, Russia; Commodore Abhay Kumar Singh, Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA); Dr. Pavel Gudev, Head of Working Group, Center for North American Studies, IMEMO, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia; and Dr. Pragya Pandey, Research Fellow, ICWA. 

Perspectives on the situation in Indo-Pacific brought forth the view that tensions were rising in the Indo-Pacific. Preparations are underway for a future conflict situation in this theatre. Speakers noted that the nuclear dimension is gaining prominence. They emphasized how the sharpening US-China rivalry could lead to military-political instability in the Indo-Pacific. Speakers noted how this evolving situation necessitates cooperation among powers other than US and China. India-Russia cooperation in traditional maritime security and also in combating non-traditional challenges to maritime security like piracy, IUU fishing, was highlighted in this context to contribute to good order at sea. Maritime Domain Awareness as an area of cooperation was also discussed. Both sides reaffirmed their faith in mutually agreed agreements to guide state behaviour and inter-state relations, in entering into confidence building measures, and in having shared interpretations of international law and in keeping the room open for these despite the severe fractures in the world today. 

The concluding remarks of the HoTT Forum were delivered by Ms. Nutan Kapoor Mahawar, Acting Director General & Additional Secretary, ICWA and Dr. Maxim A. Suchkov, Director, IfIS, MGIMO University.

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