Tourism between Russia, India may more than double after visa waiver - Russian Economic Ministry

MOSCOW. Dec 5 (Interfax) - Mutual tourism between Russia and India may increase 1.5-2.5 times after group visa-free trips are introduced, the press service for the Russian Economic Development Ministry told Interfax.

"Judging by our experience with China and Iran, introducing the mechanism of group visa-free trips helps increase tourism 1.5 to 2.5 times. As to the timeframe for signing the agreement, we are currently waiting for a response from our Indian partners on the draft version of the intergovernmental agreement provided by us," the ministry said.

Tourism with India went up 15% in the first nine months of 2025, the ministry said. The number of Indian tourists entering the Russian Federation increased by more than 30%.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said earlier on Friday Russia and India planned to agree on the introduction of a 30-day visa-free policy for groups of tourists.