Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top adviser, Maxim Oreshkin, will reportedly lead a large Russian delegation to the India Summit on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence in 2026. The India Summit on Artificial Intelligence will be held in New Delhi from Monday, February 16, and will last until February 20.
Who is Maxim Oreshkin?
Maxim Oreshkin is the Kremlin’s deputy chief of staff and economic adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is married and has one child.
Career of Maxim Oreshkin: Maxim Oreshkin was born on July 21, 1982 in Moscow and served as Chief Economist, Head of Sector in the Balance of Payments Department of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia), according to the Kremlin website.
In 2006–2010, he was the CEO of Rosbank and in 2010–2012, he was the head of the analytical unit at Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank Russia and the CIS.
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In 2012, he assumed the position of Chief Economist for Russia at VTB Capital. Later, in 2013, he took over the position of director of the long-term strategic planning department at the Russian Ministry of Finance.
Government Positions: Maxim Oreshkin served as Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation in 2015-2016.
In 2016, he was appointed Minister for Economic Development.
He also held the post of Presidential Special Representative for Trade and Economic Cooperation with Japan.
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In 2018, he was appointed chairman of the board of the Center for Strategic Research and in 2020, an adviser to President Vladimir Putin.
He became Deputy Chief of Staff of the Executive Office of the President in 2024.
Education of Maxim Oreshkin: He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics, according to the Kremlin website.
The India AI Impact Expo 2026 will be held in conjunction with the India AI Impact Summit and is envisioned as a national showcase of AI in action, bringing together policy, innovation and large-scale implementation into one platform.
Why is Maxim Oreshkin’s visit to India at the AI Summit significant?
“This choice (the choice to send Oreshkin) highlights the strategic push for AI cooperation between the two nations, a Kremlin source told PTI.
They said the delegation will focus on secure, trusted and sovereign AI with active engagement in discussions on AI governance, technology and partnership within BRICS and other platforms.
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In an interview with the BRICS TV Network on February 9, Russian Foreign Minister Segei Lavrov noted, “India also emphasizes ICT security, which we actively support and contribute to the agenda.”
“This is important because the standards governing the use of artificial intelligence between states and the application of artificial intelligence by states are still being implemented.”
Meanwhile, in an article published by state news agency TASS on Friday, India’s ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar outlined promising prospects for India-Russia cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and highlighted the growing strategic and technological partnership between the two nations.
Trade agreement between India and USA and Russia
Maxim Oreshkin’s arrival also comes amid growing speculation surrounding US President Donald Trump’s claim that India will “stop” buying Russian oil as part of a trade deal with America.
The long-awaited trade deal between India and the US is yet to be finalized and the pact is yet to be signed. However, the two sides released the initial framework of the agreement.
While Trump has claimed that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil, the Indian government has neither accepted nor denied the claim.
In an interactive session alongside German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Jaishankar told Foreign Affairs that oil companies “in India, Europe and other parts of the world are looking at availability, looking at costs, looking at risks and making decisions that they think are in their best interest”.