Reshetnikov called for speeding up the launch of group visa-free travel between Russia and India

Work on launching visa-free group trips between Russia and India needs to be accelerated. This was announced on December 4 by the head of the Ministry of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, speaking at the Russian-Indian Business Forum.

"Visa-free group trips should be the next step. The Indian side is considering an agreement that we have prepared, and here we are also appealing to the Indian business community to work on this issue with us, with our Indian colleagues, as soon as possible," he said.

According to Reshetnikov, despite the 15% increase in mutual tourist traffic this year, its volumes are still half the pre-pandemic figures. Thus, out of 30 million foreign trips by Russians, less than 1% go to India, which does not correspond to the potential of the market, estimated at $ 38 billion, the minister noted. To simplify travel, the Russian Federation has already extended the validity period of an electronic visa for Indians to 120 days and a stay of up to 30 days.

The head of the Ministry of Economic Development noted the successful experience of visa-free group exchange with China and Iran, which attracted an additional 1.5 million tourists in two years. The minister also outlined the task of developing air traffic: currently, only 15 flights per week are operated between the countries, while 220 flights are operated with China, and 369 flights are operated with the UAE in winter. Russia is ready to issue flight permits to Indian airlines. At the same time, the India-friendly standard is already in effect in Moscow to adapt the hospitality sector to the needs of Indian travelers, the head of the department said.

Reshetnikov also spoke about the situation in the Russian economy. According to him, in the last two years it has grown at a rate higher than the global average (more than 4%), and this year growth has slowed down somewhat, which has become "the price for slowing inflation." The Minister stressed that inflation has decreased significantly in recent months, and the economy will remain positive in the coming years due to the growth of key industries — industry, construction and agriculture, as well as consumer activity against the background of an increase in real incomes of the population.

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Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with the Indian TV channel India Today, noted that over 90% of mutual trade between Russia and India is carried out in national currencies. He added that despite the existing difficulties and restrictions in trade, the parties have solutions to overcome them.

In addition, according to the head of state, Russia and India have a large-scale cooperation plan for the future, including in the technological sphere, space, and nuclear energy, the Russian leader said. He added that the countries' relations are developing in many areas.

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