After the end of the Cold War, India-Russia relations underwent significant transformation, adapting to new global realities while retaining elements of strategic continuity. During the Cold War, India maintained a close and special relationship with the Soviet Union, rooted in ideological alignment, economic cooperation, defense collaboration, and geopolitical considerations. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a unipolar world dominated by the United States forced India to recalibrate its foreign policy. Despite these global shifts, India and Russia managed to preserve their historical ties, though the nature of the relationship evolved from one of dependency to a more balanced and multifaceted partnership. In the immediate post-Cold War period, India-Russia relations were tested by economic and geopolitical uncertainties. Russia faced severe economic decline, political instability, and internal restructuring during the 1990s, which impacted its ability to sustain the levels of economic and defense assistance that India had received under the Soviet Union. Concurrently, India, emerging from an economic crisis in 1991, initiated liberalization and globalization policies, diversifying its foreign relations and seeking to attract Western investment and technology. This period saw India strategically balancing its traditional partnership with Russia while engaging with the United States, European Union, Japan, and other emerging powers. One of the central dimensions of post-Cold War India-Russia relations has been defense and military cooperation. Despite economic constraints, Russia remained India’s primary defense partner. Major defense procurements from Russia continued, including fighter aircraft, tanks, submarines, and missile systems. Joint projects,