Putin will meet Indian leaders on Thursday and Friday and attend as guest of honour official celebrations of India's Republic Day -- a reflection of the historically close ties between the two countries.

India and Russia "have been time-tested partners and friends and we will continue to be just that in future", Putin told Indian journalists in an interview released by the Kremlin on Tuesday.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, who arrived in India ahead of Putin, said on Monday he expected a multi- billion-dollar deal to build additional nuclear reactors.

Two Russian reactors are already under construction in India, where rapid economic growth is driving a demand for additional supplies of energy.

Ivanov also said Russia would pitch its MIG-35 combat jet in an Indian tender for 126 fighter aircraft and told reporters that Moscow was interested in inviting Indian investment in the Sakhalin-3 oil and gas exploration blocks in the Pacific.

After the Cold War alliance between Moscow and New Delhi collapsed together with the Soviet Union, Russia has maintained a "strategic partnership" with India, supporting its Asian ally's quest for a bigger international role.