1953 मध्ये ______ चा मृत्यु झाल्यानंतर भारत-सोव्हिएत युनियन यांच्यातील मैत्रीच्या पर्वाला प्रारंभ झाला.

The correct answer is Option D (Stalin).

Key Points:
• During the leadership of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union maintained a skeptical attitude toward India's Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), viewing Nehru's government as aligned with Anglo-American interests.
• Following Stalin's death in March 1953, the new Soviet leadership under Nikita Khrushchev dramatically shifted foreign policy toward developing nations.
• The post-1953 era witnessed a golden phase of Indo-Soviet friendship, highlighted by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's visit to Moscow in June 1955 and Khrushchev's return visit to India later that year.
• The USSR provided vital diplomatic support on the Kashmir issue in the UN Security Council and extended crucial economic aid to build India's core heavy industries, including the Bhilai Steel Plant.
• This cordial bilateral foundation eventually culminated in the signing of the historic Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation in 1971.
• Key Takeaway: The death of Joseph Stalin in March 1953 marked the beginning of a close and cooperative friendship between India and the Soviet Union.