NEW DELHI, December 8. /TASS/. Russia-India relations have evolved into strategic pillars of their foreign policy, Indian expert Tarun Kumar, national coordinator of the People's Forum for a Multipolar World, told TASS.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to India came at a moment when the international system is undergoing a profound transition. As older unipolar frameworks lose coherence and new centers of power emerge across Eurasia, the India-Russia engagement carried significance far beyond routine diplomacy. It signalled a reaffirmation of strategic autonomy, sovereign decision-making and a shared belief in a more balanced, multipolar world order," Kumar noted.

According to the expert, the relationship between the two countries has "matured into a structural and strategic pillar of both nations' foreign policies." "For India, this partnership enhances strategic autonomy and strengthens global leverage. For Russia, India remains a stable, trusted partner capable of co-creating alternative frameworks free from restrictive conditionalities. Together, the two nations are shaping an international environment where sovereignty is respected, development is equitable, and power is more widely distributed," he said.

Kumar believes that their shared commitment to multipolarity is pragmatic. "At a time when global power structures are fracturing, the India-Russia relationship stands as a reminder that cooperation, not coercion, yields stability. Their engagement supports diversified trade routes, stable energy markets, independent technological ecosystems and culturally grounded diplomacy," he emphasized.

"With momentum behind the international North-South Transport Corridor, progress on the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, and cooperation on the Northern Sea Route, India and Russia are together charting new trade arteries that reduce reliance on Western-controlled chokepoints," Kumar stressed.

The expert also highlighted that the announcement of a 30-day free e-tourist visa and a 30-day group visa for Russian travelers added a vital cultural dimension to the summit. "It demonstrated a deeper understanding that the emotional and social foundations of India-Russia ties, people-to-people exchanges, cultural familiarity and educational linkages have historically been the stabilizing force beneath the strategic partnership," Kumar concluded.