Ukrainians’ attitudes toward India are characterized by a predominance of neutral assessments and a relatively low level of clearly defined positive or negative views. According to the results of a sociological survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, 55.5% of respondents described their attitude as neutral, making India one of the countries with the least defined emotional perception among Ukrainians.
The share of positive assessments stands at 17.9%, which is slightly higher than the 16.0% recorded in August 2025. At the same time, negative attitudes have decreased from 26.3% to 23.5%, indicating a certain softening of critical assessments.
In the detailed breakdown of responses, 4.2% of respondents chose the “completely positive” option regarding India, while another 13.8% selected “mostly positive.” In contrast, 19.6% of respondents indicated a “mostly negative” attitude, and 4.0% — “completely negative.” Another 3.0% of respondents were undecided.
The high proportion of neutral assessments indicates India’s limited presence in the Ukrainian information and public sphere. For a significant portion of respondents, this country is not the subject of constant attention or active engagement, which makes it difficult to form a clear position. At the same time, the noticeable decline in negative assessments may indicate a gradual reduction in critical perceptions.
The dynamics of change between August 2025 and March 2026 are relatively moderate. The increase in positive assessments and the simultaneous decrease in negative ones signal a certain balancing of attitudes, but do not alter the overall picture: India remains a country that Ukrainians perceive more neutrally than emotionally.
It is also important to note that the ratio of positive to negative assessments remains close, albeit with a slight preponderance of the negative. This means that in the absence of active informational or economic interaction, public opinion forms slowly and lacks a clearly defined direction.
“Attitudes toward India are a telling example of how a neutral perception forms in cases of limited interaction. When a country lacks a constant presence in the information sphere or practical cooperation projects, public opinion remains vague. “That is why, to strengthen a positive perception, it is important to develop economic and humanitarian ties that create a sense of genuine partnership,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Thus, the survey results indicate that India does not yet belong to the group of countries with a clearly established positive image in Ukraine. At the same time, current trends open up opportunities for a gradual improvement in perception, provided there is more active interaction between the countries.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, India ranks fifteenth in terms of total trade in goods with Ukraine, amounting to $2.62 billion. At the same time, imports of Indian goods are more than double exports from Ukraine, resulting in a negative bilateral trade balance.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, INDIA, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
