India to launch free 30-day e-Tourist and Group Tourist Visas for Russian citizens

New Delhi: India would soon launch a free 30-day e-Tourist Visa and a 30-day Group Tourist Visa for the citizens of Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi on Friday.

The 23rd India-Russia summit saw the two sides sign a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation and Collaboration on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati of India and Joint Stock Company Gazprom Media Holding of Russia. Besides, two more MoUs for Cooperation and Collaboration on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati of India and the National Media Group of Russia, as well as for Cooperation and Collaboration on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati of India and the BIG ASIA Media Group of Russia.

An addendum to the MoU for cooperation and collaboration on broadcasting between Prasar Bharati, India, and ANO TV-Novosti, as well as a MoU between "TV BRICS” Joint-stock company and "Prasar Bharati (PB)”, were also inked on Friday.

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi and Putin inked an MoU on scientific and academic collaboration between the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune, India and the Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Tomsk State University”, Tomsk, Russia, and an agreement regarding cooperation between the University of Mumbai, Lomonosov Moscow State University and Joint-Stock Company Management Company of Russian Direct Investment Fund.

An MoU on fertiliser cooperation was also signed.

The protocol between the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs of India and the Federal Customs Service of Russia is likely to pave the way for cooperation in exchange for pre-arrival information in respect of goods and vehicles moved between the two nations. A bilateral agreement between the Department of Posts of India and JSC Russian Post was among the other documents finalised on the sidelines of the summit.