Defence ties in focus at Rajnath-Putin meeting
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Putin in Moscow to enhance India-Russia defence ties, urging faster S-400 deliveries and increased military collaboration.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, with a focus on bilateral defence cooperation as the two leaders stressed the “immense potential” of the India-Russia partnership, according to an official statement.
On the second day of his visit, Rajnath also met his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov and asked Moscow to speed up the delivery of the two remaining squadrons of the S-400 air defence missile systems, sought enhanced spares and maintenance support for the Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi-30 fleet, and urged Russia to explore the possibility of making India a hub for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of T-90 and T-72 tanks, people aware of the matter said.
During his meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the 21st meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC), the defence minister said that India has always stood by its Russian friends and will continue to do so in future, the statement said.
“Friendship between our countries is higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean,” the defence ministry quoted him as saying.
It added: “Rajnath Singh discussed various issues of bilateral defence cooperation. Both leaders expressed that partnership between both countries holds immense potential and combined efforts will pave the way for remarkable outcomes.” Singh also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Putin, according to the statement.
On Tuesday, Singh co-chaired the 21st meeting of the IRIGC-M&MTC along with Belousov and reviewed the bilateral defence relationship between the two sides. During the meeting, Singh also highlighted the need to consider exporting the Russian-origin AK-203 assault rifles being jointly manufactured at a facility in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, adding that more Russian weapons and systems could be produced in India, while focusing attention on new opportunities for enhancing the participation of the Russian industry in Make-in-India projects to strengthen the country’s military capabilities, the people said, asking not to be named.
India ordered five units of the S-400 missile systems from Russia for ₹39,000 crore in October 2018. The S-400 can destroy a variety of aerial threats, including enemy fighter jets and missiles, at a range of up to 400 km. Three have been inducted but the last two units are delayed at a time when Russia is caught in a lingering conflict with Ukraine.
To be sure, the sanctions slapped on Russia by the United States and its allies following the Ukraine war delayed some projects and raised questions about the procurement of spares for existing Russian-origin weapons, as well as maintenance and servicing of legacy equipment.
Singh asked Russia to consider setting up repair and overhaul facilities for the S-400 systems in India, the people added. The issue of spares and maintenance support for the Su-30s is critical as the IAF operates a fleet of 260 such fighters, which is plagued by poor serviceability, they added.
“Had a very productive IRIGC-M&MTC meeting with my Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov in Moscow. Reviewing the full range of bilateral defence ties, we discussed ways to deepen cooperation between both the countries. We are committed to further strengthening India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” Singh wrote on X.
Singh’s two meetings came a day after INS Tushil, the country’s latest stealth missile frigate, was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia, in the presence of Singh, who described the warship as a “proud testament” to India’s growing maritime might and a “significant milestone” in the long-standing friendship between the two countries.
The defence minister stressed that the India-Russia relationship is strong, adding that the ties have been further strengthened after the recent exchanges including two visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia in 2024.
Singh highlighted the government’s determination to strengthen the capabilities of its domestic defence industry across domains, while asking the Russian defence industry to participate in Make-in-India projects.
Belousov congratulated Singh on the commissioning of INS Tushil, an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of Project 1135.6. Six such vessels are already in Indian Navy service --- three Talwar class ships, built at Baltic shipyard in St Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at the Yantar shipyard.
Tushil has an indigenous content of around 26%, double that of the previous Teg-class frigates, HT has learnt. This includes contributions from 33 firms including Bharat Electronics Limited, BrahMos Aerospace (an India-Russia joint venture), and Nova Integrated Systems (a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Advanced Systems Limited).
Tushil is part of a $2.5-billion deal with Russia for four more Krivak/Talwar class stealth frigates for the Indian Navy. The second frigate Tamal, also being built in Russia, is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Navy in mid-2025. The remaining two ships will be built at the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) with technology transfer from Russia.
Belousov accepted Singh’s invitation to visit India to co-chair the 22nd session of the IRIGC-M&MTC in 2025. The two ministers signed the protocol of the 21st IRIGC-M&MTC meeting, highlighting the ongoing and prospective areas of cooperation.
Earlier, Singh laid a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow to honour the memory of the Soviet soldiers killed during the Second World War.
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