Re- Balancing India Russia Ties: Celebrating 70 years of Friendship

India and Russia have a long drawn partnership in the World. India has considered Russia as a tested and tried friend in its short history after Independence. The two faced a certain break during the time of 1991: India facing problems to cope up with its financial crises and in implementing the Liberalisation and Globalisation policies while Russia struggling with the break-up of the Soviet Union.

But this jolt could not bring earthquake in their relationships. In fact, the relationship further strengthened. Russi has always been a support to India in diplomacy or economy. It has also supported India against Pakistan and Kashmir issue both at regional and international levels. Russia always believed in the philosophy of Multipolar world and considered itself to be the second pole of Asia and Central Asia the USA.

India and Russia's defense partnership has no match in the world. Russia has been the biggest seller of Defence items to India and has helped India in a time of needs and developing India's defense system. The only area where the two lack is the economic and investment sector. Both being big economies with a huge population and investment opportunities have not been able to fully realize its potential.

But the recent developments in the world economy and polity has forced India to rebalance the deteriorating ties. In the recent times, India has been seen aligning itself with USA and Russia aligning itself with China. Both are trying to diversify their relation but these relations are hurting ties between them. The USA has always been a competitor of Russia and China of India. Further breaking the ice Russia has started the fist ever Bilateral Defence exercise with Pakistan, the biggest trouble of India from which Russia used to support India.

In this scenario, though both are trying to find a balance between the two and re-achieving the heights of the past. But India needs to rebalance its relationship with Russia to survive in this highly complex Asian Theater. India now no longer can rely on Russia for taking its side which it used to take in the past against China and Pakistan. This can be a huge problem for India as the ties of India with the USA has also experienced a jolt after the Trump leadership.

Thus its time India needs to rethink its ties and diversify its ties by including the European powers in its Foreign policy basket. European powers were earlier seen as a trade and Technology partners and were never seen as an ally. But now its time for India to diversify its Foreign Policy basket to rebalance the misbalancing ties of India Russia and USA.