By Manoj Kumar, Shivam Patel and Sarita Chaganti Singh NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Russian lenders Gazprombank and Alfa Bank have sought clearance to begin operating in India, four people familiar with the matter said,

Putin summit, India and Russia reaffirmed defence cooperation, with New Delhi pushing for co-development, technology transfer and deeper military ties

The submarine will be leased for a 10-year period and will not be deployed in combat. Instead, it will serve as a training and operational support platform to help India develop its own nuclear submarine capability.

India and Russia want to boost their trade and expand the variety of items in transactions, both said on Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin headed to New Delhi to start a two-day state visit.

India urged Russia to approve dairy exports from 12 firms including Amul, discussed expanding fisheries and animal trade, and proposed a new MoU at the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to host a lunch for the Russian President at Hyderabad House around 2 PM on Friday

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that Russia remains India's strategic partner in technology and defence despite the recent geopolitical developments.

Putin will arrive in India in today evening for a two-day state visit, his first trip to India since 2021 and since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, during which several agreements are expected to be signed.