The forum will focus on expanding the presence of Indian engineering products in the Russian market; increasing Russia’s purchase of Indian food products including marine products; exploring the growth potential for mutual provision of digital services; and increasing the volume of Russian purchases of Indian pharmaceutical products, officials said.
On the Cards Agenda to focus on engineering, food, digital services & pharmaceutical exports
It will also focus on expanding the presence of Indian suppliers in the Russian market, intensifying industrial cooperation, implementing joint projects, increasing cooperation in high technologies and attracting human resources from India, they said.
The agenda for strengthening India-Russia cooperation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare is inherently strategic, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing resilient, innovation-driven healthcare ecosystems. Key priorities for mutually beneficial cooperation include expanding supplies of Indian medicines and medical devices to the Russian market, localising production of Indian companies in Russia and joint establishment of state-of-the-art pharmaceutical and MedTech manufacturing complexes.
The forum will discuss policy, investment and regulatory mechanisms that are required to foster joint innovation, scale manufacturing and broaden the scope of cooperation across MedTech and innovative healthcare services.
As India and Russia expand their engagement in emerging technologies, both countries bring complementary experience and long-standing strengths that support the development of sovereign digital capabilities. India has developed notable competencies in digital public infrastructure, scalable software systems and applied AI solutions, while Russia has deep experience in scientific research, secure communication technologies and advanced computing. Together, these foundations offer meaningful opportunities for co-development, an official explained.
In this context, the forum will focus on identifying mutually relevant areas for cooperation in AI and digital technologies and outlining themes that can guide future collaboration. The conversation will aim to map shared priorities, understand complementary strengths and explore avenues for joint exploration. The key deliverables will be a prioritised set of actionable, high-impact collaboration pathways and a high-level framework to guide and sustain robust engagement across government, industry and academia, translating the shared vision into concrete, technology-driven outcomes, another official said.It will also have a dedicated session on growing the Indian labour force in Russia as the two sides are ready to sign a mobility pact. The Russian labour market is showing a growing interest in attracting qualified personnel from India. There is currently a significant increase in the flow of Indian specialists to various cities and regions of Russia.
There is potential for increasing exports of Indian foods to Russia. Various types of Indian goods already have a presence in the Russian market, including vegetable curries, ready-made meals, legumes, snacks and confectionery. The product range further expanded in 2024-25 when India started supplying butter and milk fat to Russia, and the export of Indian grapes increased. There are also additional opportunities for supplies from India of nutritious cereals, traditional sweets and seafood. Talks are ongoing to start exporting shrimps to Russia after Indian exporters faced the heat in the US following imposition of tariffs.