Russia has been one of India’s most enduring strategic and economic partners, a relationship rooted in the Soviet era and one that has only grown stronger in the face of global geopolitical realignments. Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached a historic high of approximately USD 69 billion in FY 2024-25, with India importing around USD 63.8 billion worth of goods — primarily crude oil, defence equipment, fertilisers, and coal — and exporting approximately USD 4.9 billion. Russian investment in India exceeds USD 18 to 20 billion, predominantly in energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors. Both countries are working toward a bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2030, supported by alternative payment mechanisms, the International North-South Transport Corridor, and a growing number of joint ventures across sectors. Let us have a look at the top 10 Russian companies in India for the year 2026.
1. Rosneft (via Nayara Energy)
Rosneft, Russia’s state-controlled oil giant and one of the world’s largest oil producers, holds the distinction of being the single largest Russian investor in India with an investment of approximately USD 20 billion through its 49.13 percent stake in Nayara Energy, formerly known as Essar Oil. Nayara Energy owns and operates the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, which is India’s second largest private sector oil refinery with a capacity of over 20 million tonnes per annum, and also operates a nationwide retail fuel network of over 6,800 fuel stations across India.
Rosneft through Nayara Energy serves the Indian petroleum products market including petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and industrial petroleum products, and its Vadinar refinery has become strategically critical to India’s energy security, processing significant volumes of Russian crude oil that India has been importing at preferential prices.
2. Rosatom
Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation established in the year 2007, is one of the most strategically important Russian companies in India and has been central to India’s nuclear power development program for nearly two decades. Rosatom has constructed two VVER-1000 type light water reactors at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, with additional units under various stages of construction and planning at the same site. Beyond construction, Rosatom also supplies nuclear fuel to the Kudankulam plant and is exploring the development of small modular reactors in the range of 100 to 200 MW for the Indian nuclear establishment.
Rosatom serves India’s civilian nuclear energy program through its Kudankulam project and is a long-term strategic partner for nuclear technology, fuel supply, personnel training, and technical support, making it one of the most deeply embedded foreign energy companies in India’s power generation infrastructure.
3. Gazprom
Gazprom, founded in the year 1989 and one of the world’s largest natural gas companies, has established a commercial and technical presence in India through its natural gas supply agreements and energy sector partnerships. As India rapidly expands its natural gas infrastructure to meet climate commitments and diversify its energy mix, Gazprom is well positioned to be a long-term supplier of liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas to Indian customers. The company participates in India’s growing energy diplomacy through both government-to-government and commercial channels.
Gazprom serves Indian energy companies, LNG importers, and industrial gas consumers with natural gas supply agreements and technical collaboration, and is a key partner in India’s strategy to increase the share of natural gas in its primary energy mix from the current 6 percent to the target of 15 percent by 2030.
4. Sukhoi (United Aircraft Corporation)
Sukhoi, a division of the United Aircraft Corporation of Russia, is one of the most operationally significant Russian companies in India because of its role in supplying and supporting the Indian Air Force’s primary air superiority fighter — the Sukhoi Su-30MKI. The Su-30MKI variant was specifically customised for Indian requirements and is manufactured under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited at its Nashik facility in a long-standing and highly complex defence industrial collaboration. In 2026, Sukhoi remains actively engaged in supporting and upgrading India’s large Su-30MKI fleet.
Sukhoi serves the Indian Air Force through its licensed manufacturing partnership with HAL, ongoing technical support and maintenance services, and upgradation programs for the Su-30MKI fleet, making it one of the most strategically irreplaceable Russian defence partners for India’s air combat capability.
5. Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab, founded in the year 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky and headquartered in Moscow, is the most widely recognised Russian consumer and enterprise technology brand in India. The company provides a comprehensive range of cybersecurity products including antivirus software, endpoint security, threat intelligence, and advanced persistent threat protection to both individual consumers and corporate enterprises across India. Kaspersky has well-established distribution channels that cooperate with system integrators and retailers across the country and participates in state-level cybersecurity awareness and protection programs.
Kaspersky Lab serves individual consumers, small and medium businesses, large enterprises, and government-adjacent organisations across India with cybersecurity solutions, and is a trusted name particularly for consumer antivirus and SMB endpoint security in the Indian market where it has been operating through local distributors for over two decades.
6. Almaz-Antey
Almaz-Antey, Russia’s premier air defence systems manufacturer, has a critical and highly strategic presence in India as the designer and supplier of the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system — one of the most advanced and comprehensive air defence platforms in the world. India signed a USD 5.4 billion contract for five units of the S-400 system in 2018 and deliveries commenced in 2021, with the system becoming operational in India despite significant pressure from the United States regarding CAATSA sanctions. Almaz-Antey’s presence in India represents one of the highest-value defence procurement relationships in the world.
Almaz-Antey serves the Indian Air Force and Army Air Defence with the S-400 Triumf system, providing installation, integration, training, and technical support for this sophisticated long-range air defence platform that significantly enhances India’s ability to neutralise aerial threats including aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.
7. Russian Railways (RZD)
Russian Railways, one of the world’s largest railway systems with over 85,600 kilometres of track, has been engaging with India through technical consultancies and railway infrastructure development partnerships. Russia has expressed interest in collaborating on India’s ambitious railway modernisation program, particularly in areas of high-speed rail technology, freight logistics, and locomotive manufacturing. RZD’s expertise in operating heavy freight and long-distance passenger rail networks across diverse and challenging geographic conditions is particularly relevant to India’s railway infrastructure expansion goals.
Russian Railways serves as a technical and strategic partner for India’s railway modernisation initiatives, sharing expertise in freight rail logistics, high-speed rail technology, and cold climate rail operations with Indian Railways as both countries seek to deepen their infrastructure cooperation under the bilateral strategic framework.
8. Yandex
Yandex, founded in the year 1997 and Russia’s largest technology and internet company, has established a technical and commercial presence in India through its cloud computing, digital mapping, and artificial intelligence capabilities. The company provides APIs and developer tools that enable Indian software companies and enterprises to integrate Yandex’s machine learning and geolocation technologies into their applications. Yandex’s digital infrastructure and AI research capabilities offer Indian businesses an alternative to Western technology platform providers.
Yandex serves Indian enterprises, developers, and technology companies with cloud computing, AI solutions, and geolocation APIs, and maintains technical alliances with Indian firms seeking to leverage Russian technology platforms particularly in data analytics, machine learning, and digital mapping applications.
9. NOVATEK (Arctic LNG)
NOVATEK, Russia’s largest independent natural gas producer and a global leader in LNG technology and production, has been engaging with Indian energy companies including ONGC Videsh and Petronet LNG for participation in its Arctic LNG projects. Indian energy companies have been evaluating long-term LNG supply agreements with NOVATEK as part of India’s strategy to diversify its LNG import sources and secure competitive long-term energy supplies. NOVATEK’s Arctic LNG 2 project represents one of Russia’s most ambitious energy export initiatives.
NOVATEK serves Indian energy importers and state-owned oil and gas companies as a potential long-term LNG supplier, and India’s engagement with NOVATEK’s Arctic projects represents a strategic interest in securing diverse LNG supplies from Russia as an alternative to more expensive spot market purchases.
10. ABBYY (via Indian Partners)
ABBYY, a Russian technology company with global operations specialising in intelligent document processing, optical character recognition, and AI-powered data capture solutions, serves Indian enterprises through its authorised partner and reseller network. The company’s document intelligence platform is used by Indian banks, insurance companies, shared service centres, and business process outsourcing firms to automate the capture and processing of large volumes of documents, forms, and contracts. ABBYY’s technology has found strong adoption in India’s financial services and BPO sectors.
ABBYY serves India’s banking, financial services, insurance, and BPO industries with intelligent document processing and OCR solutions that automate the extraction of data from physical and digital documents, significantly reducing manual processing costs and improving accuracy in high-volume document-centric business operations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the current state of India-Russia trade in 2026?
A: Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached a historic high of approximately USD 69 billion in FY 2024-25, up significantly from previous years. India imports approximately USD 63.8 billion from Russia, primarily crude oil which now accounts for 30 to 35 percent of India’s total crude imports, along with defence equipment, fertilisers, coal, and machinery. India exports approximately USD 4.9 billion to Russia. Both countries are targeting USD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.
Q: What is the largest Russian investment in India?
A: Rosneft’s investment of approximately USD 20 billion through its 49.13 percent stake in Nayara Energy is the single largest Russian corporate investment in India. This gives Rosneft direct control of the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, one of India’s most sophisticated and strategically located oil processing facilities, and a nationwide fuel retail network of over 6,800 stations.
Q: Are US sanctions against Russia affecting Russian company operations in India?
A: India has maintained its strategic autonomy on the Russia sanctions issue and has not imposed CAATSA or Western-style sanctions against Russian companies. This has allowed trade and business relationships to continue and even expand. However, certain international payment channels and banking relationships have become more complex. India and Russia are actively developing alternative payment mechanisms including rupee-ruble trade and dedicated payment corridors to reduce dependence on dollar-based systems.
Q: What sectors are Russian companies most active in India?
A: Russian companies are most prominently active in India in the energy sector led by Rosneft and Rosatom, defence including Sukhoi, Almaz-Antey, and various shipbuilding and armament partnerships, technology and cybersecurity through Kaspersky, and infrastructure through Russian Railways advisory engagements. Natural gas, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals, and IT are growing areas of Russian company engagement in India.
Q: Is India dependent on Russia for defence supplies?
A: Historically, India sourced approximately 60 to 65 percent of its military equipment from Russia, though this share has been reducing steadily as India diversifies its defence procurement toward domestic production under Atmanirbhar Bharat and purchases from the USA, France, and Israel. However, Russia remains a critical defence partner for spare parts, technical support, and upgrades for the large inventory of Russian-origin equipment in service with the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
