Athira Sethu
Kochi, 4 Dec 2025
A strong and long-standing defense partnership binds both India and Russia together, wherein key agreements and projects have helped in building and strengthening their relationship. Russia has been one of the major suppliers of military equipment to India, and the two countries have been jointly working on ventures, co-production, and technology transfer. From air, land, and naval defense, their collaboration has played a very important role in boosting the military capabilities of India. The following are some of the major defense deals and collaborations between the two nations:
Key Defence Collaborations between India and Russia
- BrahMos Missile
- BrahMos is one of the most important defense projects jointly developed by India and Russia.
- As of 2018, about 65% of the components are made in India; this percentage is slated to go up further.
- Sukhoi Su-30MKI Fighters
- India inked a deal with Russia for 50 Su-30MKI fighter jets in 1996.
- India is presently manufacturing more Su-30MKI jets locally at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, HAL.
- T-90 Tanks
- The T-90 battle tanks, made in Russia, are an important constituent of India’s armored forces.
- These, along with older-generation tanks, form the backbone in securing India’s borders.
- S-400 Missile Defense System
- India purchased five S-400 missile defense systems from Russia in 2018 at a cost of $5.43 billion.
- The S-400 systems will boost India’s air defense capability to protect against aerial threats.
- Naval Equipment
- Since the early 1990s, India has acquired Russian submarines, warships, and other naval assets.
- These supplies are essential to India’s naval strength and maritime security.
- Ground Weapons & Equipment
- Russia has supplied the Indian Army with an assortment of ground equipment, including helicopters, artillery, and small arms.
- These supplies keep India’s forces well-equipped in light of the varied terrains and combat situations.
- Long-Term Cooperation Framework
- In 2000, the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation-IRIGC-MTC was established.
- In 2021, the framework was renewed for another decade, a guarantee of further support for joint projects and technology exchange.
- Russia As India’s Main Arms Supplier
- Between 2000 and 2020, about 66.5% of India’s arms were supplied by Russia.
- Russia has been India’s major supplier in the air, land, and sea defense sectors.
- Arms Supply Surge, 2011–2021
- The growth of Russia’s arms export to India from 2011 to 2021 reached $22.8 billion.
- This included fighter jets, missiles, tanks, and naval equipment that have modernized India’s defense.
- Joint Projects & Co-Production
- India and Russia have collaborated on such joint projects as local production of Su-30MKI jets, BrahMos missiles, and T-90 tanks.
- These co-production efforts help India build its own defense manufacturing capacity while using Russian technology.
