Fifty-one of the 227 Indian nationals recruited into the Russian armed forces have died, the government said on Monday. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said 139 Indians have been discharged so far.   India is in regular talks with Russia to secure the release and return of those still serving in the Russian army. The Indian Embassy in Moscow is also monitoring the situation.   Misri said New Delhi wants the remaining Indian nationals to be discharged and reunited with their families as soon as possible. He shared the update during a briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kyrgyzstan.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged a brief handshake at the SCO summit in Bishkek on Tuesday. The interaction appeared more formal than their warmer meeting at the Tianjin summit in 2025.   The two leaders did not hold a formal bilateral meeting in Bishkek. The next possible meeting could take place at the BRICS summit in New Delhi later this month.   India and China have improved some diplomatic and people-to-people ties since their 2024 border disengagement agreement. However, border issues along the Line of Actual Control remain a key concern for India.  

Uzbekistan has announced visa-free entry for Indian passport holders for stays of up to 30 days. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the announcement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tashkent.   The move is expected to boost tourism, business and people-to-people ties between India and Uzbekistan. Until now, Indian travellers needed an e-visa to visit the country.   However, the official implementation order and start date are yet to be announced. Uzbekistan is known for its historic Silk Road cities, Islamic architecture, busy bazaars and popular local food.  

India is looking for a “sustainable way forward” to continue its involvement in Iran’s strategic Chabahar port after a US sanctions waiver expired, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. India is in talks with various stakeholders as it seeks to protect its $120 million investment. Reports say New Delhi may temporarily transfer its stake to an Iranian entity during the sanctions period, without exiting the project. Chabahar is crucial for India’s access to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan, and is also linked to the International North-South Transport Corridor. (PC: India Today)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to move from “endless war” towards peace during their meeting at the SCO Summit in Bishkek. Modi said a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict was necessary for humanity. He added that India supports dialogue and diplomatic efforts to end the war. The leaders also discussed trade, defence, energy and other areas of cooperation. They raised concerns about attacks in the Black Sea that have affected maritime trade and Indian seafarers. Putin is expected to visit New Delhi later this month for the BRICS Summit.  

The US government has proposed ending work permits for some H-4 visa holders, who are spouses of H-1B workers. The move could affect thousands of families, especially Indians.   The proposal would reverse a 2015 rule that allowed eligible H-4 spouses to work with an Employment Authorisation Document. Between 2014 and 2017, about 93% of approved H-4 work permits went to Indian nationals.   The proposal is not yet a final rule. DHS must first publish it, allow public comments and issue a final decision. Until then, valid H-4 EAD holders can continue working under current rules.  

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use India’s “extensive contacts” with various countries to help pull warring sides away from conflict and towards dialogue and agreement. Speaking during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Pezeshkian thanked India for its support and cooperation during the recent war and called for stronger diplomatic efforts to restore regional peace and security. He criticised the United States for choosing “the path of war” instead of diplomatic mechanisms and said Iran had never welcomed war. Pezeshkian stressed that continued conflict serves neither Iran, the region nor humanity, and urged greater international efforts to strengthen peace, stability and security. (PC: X)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that India would continue supporting peaceful efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, stressing the need to move from “endless wars to the end of war.” Meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Modi said every day of war sets humanity back and called for efforts to end hostilities. He said India and Russia could move forward while keeping their respective interests in mind. Modi also said he carried a message of peace from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Buddha. Putin said Russia-India relations were strengthening with Modi’s personal attention, while tourist exchanges between the two countries grew 16% in 2025, according to Sputnik.

India on Monday rejected the latest award by the Court of Arbitration concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, calling the body “illegally constituted” and saying the 1960 treaty remains in abeyance. The Ministry of External Affairs said the tribunal was established by the World Bank in “patent breach” of the treaty’s terms and reiterated that India has never recognised its legal existence or participated in its proceedings. New Delhi said the tribunal has no jurisdiction over India’s sovereign decisions and that its current or future pronouncements would have no impact on projects being undertaken by India. The tribunal, meanwhile, ruled that India must continue observing its treaty obligations and imposed interim measures on the Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project. (PC: ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The meeting marked their first bilateral talks since the US-Iran war began in February. The talks took place just hours after the US and Iran engaged in direct military exchanges for the first time in several weeks. Details of the Modi-Pezeshkian meeting were not immediately released. The Iranian Embassy in India confirmed the meeting in a post on X, saying Pezeshkian met and held talks with Modi during the first leg of his visit to Kyrgyzstan to attend and address the SCO Summit and the Shanghai Plus Summit.