Russian Business Delegation from Leningrad Region Woos Indian Investors; Agriculture, Heavy Manufacturing and Port Development in Focus

Ms. Priya Pansare, Senior Director at World Trade Center Mumbai, along with Dr. Vijay Kalantri, President of the All India Association of Industries (AIAI) and Chairman of MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai, attended the India–Russia Business Dialogue in Leningrad Region. The event aimed to strengthen economic cooperation between India and Russia through industrial partnerships, investment, and bilateral trade.

The Leningrad Region expressed interest in enhancing ties with India and other BRICS nations. Its economy grew to 1.6 trillion Rubles in investments in 2025, demonstrating its potential in advanced manufacturing, shipbuilding, petrochemicals, agro-processing, maritime logistics, and tourism.

The region's strategic location and well-developed maritime infrastructure provide great opportunities for international trade. Four major seaports handled over 200 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, and the region has export relations with more than 106 countries. Ms. Lina Yurievna Nikiforova, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Economic Development and Investment Activities of the Leningrad Region, spoke about her region's future plans for further strengthening business partnerships with Indian enterprises through increased trade, technology exchange, joint investments, and cooperation across emerging sectors.

Ms. Olga Medina da Silva, Chief Executive Officer of the Development Agency BRICS, moderated the dialogue, emphasizing the potential for India–Russia bilateral trade. India and Russia share a long-standing strategic partnership, with opportunities for diversifying trade and expanding cooperation in manufacturing, technology, and investment.

Bilateral trade reached approximately 60 billion in FY 2025–26, and both countries must focus on diversifying the trade basket, addressing the trade imbalance, and working towards a USD 100 billion trade target by 2030.

Ms. Priya Pansare, Senior Director of MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai, proposed the vote of thanks, thanking the Russian delegation and Indian industry representatives for their participation. The program concluded with B2B networking interactions, focusing on exploring new opportunities for bilateral trade, investment, and industrial partnerships.

Russian enterprises in glass manufacturing, industrial products, and polymer-based applications presented their opportunities for bilateral trade, technology exchange, industrial collaboration, and business partnerships with Indian enterprises.