India, Russia defence ties gain fresh momentum through joint development, production: Report

Ottawa, Sep 23
India and Russia defence partnership are shifting from traditional arms purchases towards the joint development and production of military equipment in India, according to a latest report.

While Russian military hardware has long been central to the partnership, India's growing defence capabilities are now helping reshape the dynamics of cooperation between the two countries, it added.

On the sidelines of the recently concluded BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held discussions on a wide range of issues, including political, economic, and energy, with defence cooperation reportedly featuring on the agenda.

Just days after their meeting, Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth travelled to Russia for an official visit -- marking the first trip by a top Indian military leader in eight years.

"India has traditionally been a major buyer of Russian military equipment, which is why Moscow hopes to sustain this one-sided purchasing relationship. From infantry rifles and armoured transports to heavy tanks and missile defence nodes, Russian weapons form the bedrock of India's ground forces. India's frontline armoured and mechanised units are practically defined by their Russian-designed equipment. That reality, however, is beginning to look very different," a report in Canada-based Geopolitical Monitor highlighted.

For decades, India remained Russia's largest defence customer, purchasing military hardware directly from Russian manufacturers. That model has increasingly shifted, with a significant share of the Indian military's flagship Russian-origin platforms now being produced in India through licensed production and joint ventures, Geopolitical Monitor mentioned.

It noted that Russia and India may expand their cooperation in missile development, with a particular focus on further enhancing the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

"Developed jointly by the two countries, BrahMos is derived from Russia's P-800 Oniks missile family, specifically its export variant, the Yakhont. Over the past 25 years, however, India has introduced numerous modifications and upgrades to BrahMos, giving the missile capabilities that distinguish it from its Russian predecessor. International experts argue that further modernisation will nevertheless be necessary to keep pace with increasingly advanced air defence systems," the report stated.

Highlighting the potential for collaboration in the field of armoured vehicles, it said, "In July, Russia's state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, offered India the opportunity to jointly produce the advanced T-90MS main battle tank. The proposal would represent an extension of an existing production arrangement, under which India already builds the vast majority of its T-90S tanks domestically, using a combination of locally manufactured and Russian-supplied components."