India's equity benchmarks are set to open higher on Friday, after last session's steep intraday losses, on optimism that a proposed U.S.-Russia presidential meeting next week could ease Washington's stance on India's energy engagement with Russia.

President Donald Trump said he'd be willing to meet with Vladimir Putin, even if Putin hadn't yet agreed to also sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump also said there are no plans to talk to India about tariffs.

Indian NSA Ajit Doval has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be visiting India later this year. This visit marks a pivotal moment in geopolitics, coming just as U.S.-India relations sour over Trump’s harsh new tariffs.