As Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin begins his India visit, there is a lot on his plate and that of his hosts. There are dishes that are tempting to both sides. India wants a slice in the Sakhalin 3 project. A lowering of high taxes on hydrocarbons in Russia for the Indian-owned firm, Imperial Energy, could be another request.

These are Russian dishes that India wants to sample. What delicacies should India offer? For starters, it could give preferential treatment to Russia for constructing nuclear power plants. Such a deal will be sweet as Russia is less likely to create a fuss over nuclear fuel reprocessing rights and may even agree to transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies.

Another deal, one on which India has dragged its feet so far, is that of developing the fifth generation strike fighter. India wants this aircraft, but is not being proactive about it. Putin’s visit is a good time to push full steam ahead on this.

Successfully concluding these projects will go a long way in furthering bilateral ties. Otherwise that phrase will remain devoid of content.