Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov begins a two-day visit to India on Monday. The trip will lay groundwork for a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin for an annual Russia-India Summit. It also comes close on the heels of the recent visits of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook. 

Professor Swaran Singh, chairman of the Center for International Politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, dissected the meanings behind these recent and upcoming diplomatic meetings and the role of India in global development.