Today, headlines around the world are focused on President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, but at this very moment, Delhi and Moscow have taken a strategic initiative that has restructured the entire meridian of global diplomacy — approval of the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement – RELOS. This agreement is not just a diplomatic formality, but a decisive step to redefine the global balance of power in the coming decade, which will be remembered in strategic circles as “India’s Arctic Entry Point” in the years to come.
On the surface it appears to be a simple military-logistics agreement, but in reality it is a major strategic change. Russia’s ‘State Duma’ – The Lower House of the Russian Parliament passed it with special emphasis and importance, which means that Now Indian warships, aircraft and soldiers will be able to avail refueling, repair, supply and stoppage facilities at Russian military bases. Only selected countries of the world get this right. For India, this facility is not just a comfort, but an upgrade of its global military prestige. This makes India one of the very few countries that have access to both Western (US-France) and Russian logistics networks.
The approval of RELOS is a deliberate and decisive step in India’s defense diplomacy, building on the foundation of two previous important agreements—LEMOA with the US (2016) and Logistics Cooperation Agreement with France (2018). LEMOA gave India unprecedented access to US military bases in the Indo-Pacific region, while the agreement with France opened access to French facilities in the Indian Ocean and Africa. These agreements expanded India’s operational range and underlined its strategic autonomy.
Now with RELOS, India has given a decisive Northern and Eurasian dimension to its logistics network. The agreement gives India direct access to Russian Arctic ports and bases in the Far East, which will enable the Indian Navy to operate effectively in icy seas for the first time. This access not only establishes India as a global maritime power, but also makes it an active stakeholder in future Arctic trade routes and resources.
Taken together, this triangular network—the US (West/Pacific), France (Central/Global), and now Russia (North/Eurasia)—is a striking example of India’s “multi-alignment” policy. This shows that India is capable and determined to strategically use all necessary partnerships to protect its sovereignty and interests, rather than being tied to any one faction. Thus, RELOS is not just another military agreement; This is a declaration that India is emerging as an independent, flexible and far-sighted power in the global power equations.
The biggest impact of the RELOS agreement is India’s entry into the Arctic (North Pole) military zone. Melting ice caused by climate change has turned the Northern Sea Route into the world’s next big shipping superhighway. This route runs along Russia’s Arctic coast and could bypass China’s maritime ‘choke point’ in the future. The Arctic contains the world’s largest untapped oil-gas reserves and with a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet and Arctic brigades – Russia is already the most capable and largest player in the region.
Now Russia has agreed to train Indian sailors and naval personnel in polar and sub-zero (extreme cold) operations — a facility typically available only to countries that want to build a long-term strategic presence in the Arctic. For the West, the bells of this growing India-Russia Arctic cooperation are clearly being heard, even though India is simultaneously balancing QUAD and Indo-Pacific strategy.
RELOS: The new ice front and the rise of India
This is not just a logistics agreement, but the key to the strategic gateway to the Arctic Ocean. Now Indian Navy ships will be able to refuel in Murmansk or Vladivostok and be deployed directly on the Northern Sea Route. With the help of training for operations in cold waters and Russian icebreakers, India will be able to establish its presence in icy seas also.
India has now simultaneously become a member of all three logistics networks – American LEMOA, French LSA and Russian RELOS. This is the most concrete expression of the multi-alignment policy—India’s access to the military structures of both the West and the East, but without being subordinate to either.
New equation of geopolitics
A warning to Beijing: China’s ‘Polar Silk Road’ is no longer its only Arctic presence. India is now a power that has a logistics footprint spanning from the Indian Ocean to the Arctic, it will not be easy for China to exert pressure on ‘choke points’ like Malacca.
Hint for Washington: India is an ally, not a helper. It is also active in QUAD and SCO, buying Russian S-400 and American GE-414 engines.
future view
When ice freezes over the Northern Sea Route, Indian submarines will be able to patrol along with Russian icebreakers. When the Arctic ice melts, Indian merchant ships will be able to take a new, shorter route to Europe. This is not just military mobility, but a new geography of economy and energy security.
New Cold War, New Ground
The old Cold War was fought at the Berlin Wall. The new Cold War will be fought beneath the ice caps—where the stealthy activities of submarines, Arctic oil reserves, and sea lanes hidden from satellite surveillance will be determined. RELOS is India’s entry card into that war.
