The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) is an institution and the apex Government-to-Government (G2G) mechanism for monitoring and promoting bilateral cooperation between the two nations. It was established by an Agreement on inter-governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation signed in May 1992 to manage and enhance the strategic partnership across multiple sectors. The first session of the IRIGC was held in September 1994.
The IRIGC-TEC is co-chaired by India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) and Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister (First DPM). It functions through various Working Groups and Sub-Groups that focus on specific areas like trade, science, and technology. A key function is to address issues like the trade imbalance, tariff and non-tariff barriers, logistics bottlenecks, and payment mechanisms to achieve the revised bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2030. The 27th session is scheduled for August 23-24, 2026.
The IRIGC-TEC is one of two divisions of the broader India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC); the other is the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC), which is headed by the respective Defence Ministers. Recent changes include the addition of a "2+2 Dialogue" format in December 2021, where the Foreign and Defence Ministers of both countries meet simultaneously. The Commission's work is also linked to the ongoing negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and connectivity projects like the International North-South Transport Corridor.