New Delhi and Moscow deepen military ties ahead of Putin’s India visit

The two countries’ militaries have held talks in the Indian capital to explore new areas for defense collaboration

Senior defense officials from India and Russia met in New Delhi this week to explore new areas for military cooperation and strengthen long-standing defense ties.

The talks were co-chaired by Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, India’s Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, and Lieutenant General Igor Dylevsky of the Russian Armed Forces.

The two sides reviewed ongoing joint projects and discussed expanding collaboration across emerging defense technologies and equipment production. The meeting comes ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expected visit to India in December. 

As one of the world’s largest defense importers, India has traditionally relied heavily on Russia for both equipment and technology. In recent months, New Delhi and Moscow have hinted at new projects that emphasize technology transfers for aviation, naval, and missile platforms, as India pushes to boost domestic manufacturing under its ‘Make in India’ initiative.

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Earlier this year, Russia proposed manufacturing its fifth-generation Sukhoi Su 57 fighters in India. Reports suggest that talks are underway on potentially jointly manufacturing the S-400 air defense systems that Moscow supplies to New Delhi, as well as establishing joint maintenance facilities for the existing systems.

In March, India signed a $248 million contract with Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport to acquire engines for its Russian-origin T-72 tanks, with a license-production component for an Indian state-owned company.

In August, India gave the green light to defense deals worth approximately $7.6 billion, which included additional BrahMos missiles, co-developed by Russia and India, as well as upgrades to existing military platforms.

Earlier this month, the two countries conducted the 14th edition of the INDRA bilateral naval exercise to strengthen coordination between the armies in modern warfare scenario.