Tourist flow between Russia, India to increase 2.5-fold after launch of visa-free travel

The tourist flow between Russia and India could increase by 1.5-2.5 times after the visa-free group travel mechanism is introduced, said head of the Russian Economic Development Ministry’s Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects Nikita Kondratyev.

“The growth of tourist flow from India amounted to 15% in the first nine months of 2025. That said, Indian tourist arrivals to the Russian Federation have increased by more than 30%. Based on our experience with China and Iran, the introduction of a visa-free group travel mechanism allows for a 1.5-to 2.5-fold increase in tourist flow,” he said.

The Russian side is currently awaiting a response from its Indian partners regarding the draft of the relevant intergovernmental agreement, which Russia prepared and submitted to India, the official added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said earlier on Friday that the country will soon begin issuing 30-day e-visas to Russian citizens, which can be applied for by both individual tourists and tour groups.

Russian airlines have already increased passenger traffic between India and Russia by 12.4% in the first 10 months of 2025 year-on-year to more than 204,000 passengers, the Russian Transport Ministry reported.

“In 2024, Russian airlines carried almost 240,000 passengers, while in the first 10 months of 2025, this figure exceeded 204,000, which is 12.4% higher than in the same period last year,” the report said.

Regular flights are operated on four routes with a total frequency of 15 flights per week, the ministry added.