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Why did India sign a friendship treaty with the Soviet Union in 1971?

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Mahatma Gandhi, holding a walking stick, walks beside Sarojini Naidu during the Salt March protest in 1930, with several men following behind them. — Indian National Congress Indian National Congress leaders Mahatma Gandhi (left) and Sarojini Naidu (right) on the Salt March in western India, March 1930.

India signed the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation on August 9, 1971, primarily to secure strategic support amidst the escalating crisis in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).12

During this period, India faced a massive humanitarian crisis as millions of refugees fled into its territory following a brutal military crackdown by West Pakistan. While India sought to support the independence movement, it faced geopolitical pressure from the United States, which backed Pakistan as part of its Cold War strategy to contain Soviet influence in Asia.23

By formalizing ties with the Soviet Union—India’s principal military supplier—the Indian government ensured critical diplomatic and military backing. This treaty proved decisive during the 1971 India-Pakistan War, as the Soviet Union provided essential logistical support and countered U.S. pressure by vetoing critical UN resolutions and deploying a naval task force to the Bay of Bengal. The treaty effectively bolstered India's security and facilitated its military victory, which ultimately secured Bangladesh's independence.231