India is reportedly preparing to open talks with Russia on buying new fighter jets and an upgraded missile defence system when President Vladimir Putin visits this week, according to Bloomberg.
India looks to discuss Russian fighter jets
Sources close to the development told Bloomberg that the talks will focus on two major systems, the Su-57 next-generation fighter jets and an advanced version of the S-500 missile defence shield. India and Russia share a ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,’ and these discussions fall under that relationship. India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence have not confirmed these developments.
On the other hand, a new deal with Russia could make things tricky for India’s trade talks with the United States. Washington has repeatedly raised concerns over India buying major weapons from Moscow, and is hoping New Delhi will shift more toward American systems.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked to keep India’s historic friendship with Russia intact, while also building stronger ties with the US in the past two decades. India has slowly tried to reduce its heavy dependence on Russian weapons by buying more from the US and Europe. Still, Russia remains India’s biggest military supplier.
A report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an independent group that monitors global arms sales, shows that Indian purchases of Russian weapons dropped sharply in the four years ending 2024.
‘We’re not stopping defence ties with Russia’: Government
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on Friday that India’s defence partnership with Russia is long-standing and is not going to end anytime soon. India currently operates more than 200 Russian fighter jets and several S-400 missile defence batteries, which were deployed during the four-day conflict with Pakistan in May.
While the discussions are expected to begin during Putin’s visit, sources say that no major agreements are likely to be signed immediately.
$100 bn trade deal
As President Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin lands in New Delhi next week, India is getting ready to host a large India-Russia Business Forum on December 4 and 5. According to ET, both countries want to push their trade relationship to $100 billion by 2030, and this forum is meant to give that target a strong push.
India wants to increase the presence of its engineering goods in Russia, while Moscow is looking to buy more Indian food products, including seafood and other marine items. Another major theme will be the growing room for digital services, an area where both countries believe they can work together more closely. The forum will also look at ways to boost Russia’s purchases of Indian pharmaceutical products. During the forum, officials from both sides will talk about the policies, investment rules and regulations needed to support joint innovation and expand manufacturing in medical and healthcare.