The problem of maintaining national and regional security, as well as facing the global problem of terrorism are tightly intertwined between each other. Those issues create challenges and even threats to all actors of international relations, especially the state. The article includes a comparative analysis of national counter-terrorism strategies of Russia and India, as well as the definitive scope of their contribution to the regional security systems respectively. The author emphasizes that both countries are multiconfessional and multi-ethnic, which makes the analysis of approaches to counterterrorism extremely relevant, considering mutually beneficial strengthening bilateral relations between India and Russia, since the regional stability aligns with both countries’ national interests. The article also provides a comparative analysis of regulatory legal acts and terminology connected to counter-terrorism activities; the role of special structures in the system of ensuring national security and the difficulties they face. In addition, the author focuses on the number of police forces in Russia and India, which directly affects the effectiveness of counterterrorism activities. The author examines the state of each of the models and concludes that both of them in Russia and India have their advantages and disadvantages due to the different socioeconomic background of societies and their evolutionary progress. Based on all the factors taken into account and a structural analysis of both national counterterrorism strategies, the author comes to several conclusions and gives practical recommendations to upgrade both systems, taking into consideration state interests, strengthening Russian-Indian bilateral relations, and maintaining regional security. The author's perspective will be of interest to scholars focused on international security, Indian studies and international relations.
India; Russia; terrorism; regional security.