Putin's India Visit: Strategic Signals, India's Independent Stance

• Russian President Putin's visit to India was primarily about diplomatic messaging and optics, with no major public announcements.
• India used the visit to signal its strategic independence, diverse options, and refusal to be pressured on trade deals, particularly with the US.
• Russia aimed to reaffirm its friendship with India and demonstrate it is not isolated globally, seeking to renew people-to-people ties.
• The visit underscored the maturity of the India-Russia relationship, with important matters likely discussed privately.
• The article frames the visit within a multi-polar world order, emphasizing "friends with benefits" diplomacy over traditional alliances.

Why It Matters: It explains India's strategic independence and its navigation of a multi-polar world.