India, Russia aim for $100 billion trade by 2030 as Modi, Putin push cooperation

Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have directed their governments to deepen bilateral cooperation, with both countries targeting $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.

In an interview with Russian news agency TASS published on Saturday, Envoy Kumar shared that the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties on the sidelines of the BRICS summit held in New Delhi on September 12-13.

“One of the concrete results of the cooperation was the joint participation of the leaders of our countries in the BRICS business summit, as well as a visit to the Innoprom-India exhibition, the first Russian industrial exhibition held in New Delhi,” the envoy informed TASS.

He noted that the leaders instructed relevant ministries and departments to strengthen partnership across various domains, particularly trade and commerce.

Kumar highlighted that both nations remain committed to elevating bilateral trade to USD 100 billion and mutual investments to USD 50 billion by 2030.

Addressing manpower cooperation, Kumar affirmed that India is prepared to fulfill Russia's demand for qualified personnel based on its specific requirements.

He pointed out that Indian nationals currently constitute roughly 25 to 30 percent of Russia's foreign worker quota.

With a population approaching 1.5 billion, India is positioning itself as a major international hub for skilled labor, Kumar emphasized.

He added that the average age of India's labor force is 29, with working-age individuals comprising nearly 69 percent of the total population.

India is actively preparing specialists for both domestic needs and foreign employment, Kumar explained, noting that New Delhi has suggested Russia set up educational centers in India or partner with existing institutions to train personnel tailored to the needs of Russian industry.