National Centre RUSSIA.
At a Russian showcase in New Delhi, chocolate and gingerbread are telling a different story from the industrial exhibits around them: what visitors find appealing enough to take home, share and remember.
Chocolate sweets and Tula gingerbread were among the popular choices at the National Centre RUSSIA's UniverMag stand, according to a September 10 account from the centre. The retail and cultural display is part of INNOPROM India, taking place at Bharat Mandapam from September 9 to 11, 2026.
The centre's first presentation of UniverMag in India brings together regional food products, clothing, accessories and traditional crafts. For visitors, it offers a way into a country through everyday objects rather than an itinerary or a formal introduction.
One visitor's account shows how those objects can acquire a life beyond the original trip. Uddeshya, who visited the stand with fellow blogger Ksenia, said gifts he had received in Russia had subsequently travelled to friends in India.
"When I visited Russia, I was given many matryoshka dolls, and later I also gave them to my friends in India. We also brought home tea and sweets," he said in comments published by the centre.
"I like Russian tea from different regions, for example, from Krasnodar."
Uddeshya has visited Russia five times, according to the same account. His recollection concerns his own travels, not purchases made at the Delhi exhibition. But it captures a familiar part of travel: choosing something that can communicate a place to someone who has not been there.
At UniverMag, that exchange is being attempted in the other direction, with Russian regional products brought to an Indian audience. Lace, handmade bags and matryoshka dolls also attracted interest, the centre reported.
Natalia Virtuozova, Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, pointed to food as one of the early favourites at a press conference during the exhibition.
"As far as I know, chocolate sweets are the most popular today. Yesterday, people were talking about glassware, porcelain, embroidery and jewellery," she said.
The range extends beyond familiar souvenirs. Alongside crystal and porcelain are pieces associated with particular places and craft traditions: Vologda lace, painted Zhostovo trays and Fedoskino miniatures, among others. Clothing and accessories bearing quotations from Russian President Vladimir Putin form another part of the selection.
the National Centre RUSSIA has also brought a limited-edition nevalyashka, a self-righting toy dressed in a sari. Made with the Kotovsk toy factory in Russia's Tambov region, the India-themed version was the stand's first sale, within minutes of opening, according to the organisers.
These are early observations from the organisation selling the products, rather than an independent measure of Indian demand. The accounts did not include sales totals or a customer survey. The response nevertheless offers an initial indication of which items visitors are noticing at this particular event.
The cultural zone adds a practical dimension to the display. Its programme includes demonstrations and workshops in Dymkovo clay toys, Khokhloma painting, Mikhailov lace and fur mosaic work, with craftspeople from several Russian regions.
For shoppers, watching a technique can help explain what distinguishes one handmade item from another. It also gives a regional name on a label a more tangible meaning.
Virtuozova linked the appeal of the products to both their origins and the way they are manufactured today.
"Because they are made by hand. Because they are born of Russian traditions. And because these production facilities have now been modernised, the products are of very high quality," she said at the press conference, explaining her view of the response.
India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Russia's Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov also visited the display, accompanied by Virtuozova, the centre said in a September 10 statement.
For the centre, the next question is whether interest at a temporary stand can lead to a continuing exchange. Virtuozova said she wanted UniverMag products to remain available to Indian buyers and Indian goods to be represented at the centre's Moscow premises. That remains an ambition; no Indian retail launch was announced in the statement.
For now, the Delhi presentation offers a smaller, more personal form of introduction. A box of sweets can be shared, a handmade object can prompt a question, and a gift can carry the story of a journey into another household.
