RELOS significantly deepens India–Russia defence cooperation, expanding India’s operational reach from the Indo‑Pacific to the Arctic while giving Russia a cost‑effective foothold in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Strategically, it helps both countries hedge against Western pressure and Chinese assertiveness by reinforcing a flexible, multipolar security architecture.
Strategic Implications For India
For India, RELOS transforms Russia from a primarily arms‑supplier partner into an operational enabler, granting access to over 40 Russian naval and air bases, including key facilities along the Northern Sea Route from Vladivostok to Murmansk. This extends India’s navy and air force reach into the Arctic, the Russian Far East, and parts of the north Atlantic, supporting energy security, polar experience, and participation in Arctic sea‑lane dynamics.
The pact also improves India’s logistics resilience and readiness for long‑range deployments, joint exercises, and humanitarian or disaster‑relief (HADR) missions by reducing dependence on ad‑hoc port calls or commercial arrangements. Together with similar pacts India has with the US, Japan, Australia, and France, RELOS strengthens India’s networked access model without binding it to any single bloc, preserving strategic autonomy.
Strategic Implications For Russia
For Russia, RELOS offers an affordable way to project naval presence in the IOR and wider Indo‑Pacific without building permanent overseas bases, which are expensive and politically sensitive under sanctions and budget constraints. Access to Indian ports for refuelling, repairs, and berthing helps Moscow remain visible in a region where US and Chinese naval activity is rapidly increasing.
The agreement also reinforces Russia’s “pivot to Asia” by anchoring a key relationship with India independent of Moscow’s growing dependence on China. By aligning with India—seen as a major non‑Western, non‑Chinese pole—Russia signals its commitment to a multipolar order rather than a simple China‑centric axis.
Operational And Military Effects
On the operational side, RELOS reduces cost and time for joint exercises like INDRA by pre‑authorising logistics support, making higher‑tempo and more complex drills feasible. It also enhances interoperability, as planners on both sides can assume predictable access to fuel, spares, and facilities when designing joint operations or HADR missions.
For peacetime presence operations—anti‑piracy patrols, monitoring of sea lanes, or naval diplomacy—both India and Russia gain greater flexibility to sustain ships and aircraft at distance, thereby strengthening their profiles as regional security providers. Over time, this could pave the way for more integrated information‑sharing and maritime domain awareness cooperation, even if intelligence‑sharing remains carefully calibrated.
Geopolitical Signalling And Risks
Geopolitically, RELOS sends a signal that India–Russia ties remain robust despite India’s growing defence cooperation with the US and its partners, and despite Western sanctions on Moscow. It helps India reassure Russia that it is not being edged out of New Delhi’s security calculus, while simultaneously giving New Delhi more leverage and options in dealings with both Washington and Beijing.
At the same time, the pact carries risks of perception management: the US and some European states may see deeper India–Russia logistics links as complicating efforts to isolate Moscow, while China could watch Russian activity in the IOR warily. The long‑term strategic value of RELOS for both sides will depend on how deftly they use it to enhance flexibility and reach without being drawn into overt bloc politics or conflicting security commitments.
