Putin is expected to arrive in New Delhi ahead of the BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13The summit will bring several world leaders to the Indian capital, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Modi-Putin meet ahead of BRICS: S-400 delivery, Su-57 tech transfer, BrahMos upgrade; Here’s what India, Russia may discuss (Image: X/@narendramodi)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to hold bilateral talks in New Delhi ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, with defence cooperation expected to be one of the key areas of discussionThe meeting, scheduled for September 11, comes as India and Russia look to deepen their long-standing defence partnership and move towards more joint development and production.
Among the major issues expected to come up are the remaining S-400 air defence system delivery, Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet and the next phase of the BrahMos missile programme.
S-400 delivery likely to be a key issue
The completion of India’s S-400 contract is expected to be one of the most immediate defence matters before the two leaders.
India had signed a deal worth about USD 5.43 billion in 2018 for five S-400 Triumf air defence systemsFour units have already been delivered, while the fifth and final system has faced delays linked to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia has now indicated that it remains committed to completing the deliveryKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov recently said Moscow would fulfil its obligations under the agreement.
The S-400 remains an important part of India’s air defence network because it is designed to detect and engage aircraft and missile threats from long distances.
Su-57 technology transfer on India’s radar
The Su-57, Russia’s fifth-generation stealth fighter, is likely to be another major topic during the Modi-Putin meetingMoscow has been pushing the aircraft for the Indian market, while discussions have also reportedly included the possibility of sharing production technology with India.
For India, technology transfer could be particularly important as New Delhi has increasingly focused on building advanced defence equipment domestically instead of remaining dependent on imports.
The discussions around the Su-57 could therefore go beyond simply buying fighter jetsIndia is expected to be interested in areas such as local production, technology sharing and integration of Indian weapons and systems.
BrahMos upgrade also on the table
India and Russia jointly developed the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, and the two countries are now looking at ways to improve its capabilities and make it more competitive in international markets.
Kremlin spokesperson Peskov recently said it was time to consider upgrading the missile and adding new capabilitiesOne of the key developments is the BrahMos-NG, a smaller and lighter version of the existing missileIts reduced size is expected to allow it to be integrated with more fighter aircraft, including platforms such as the Tejas.
The two countries are also looking at deeper cooperation in areas such as joint production, development and exports.
From buyer-seller relationship to joint production
India has been trying to reduce its dependence on imported defence equipment and increase domestic manufacturingRussia, meanwhile, is looking to expand cooperation through joint research, technology sharing, co-production and exports to third countries.
The BrahMos programme is already an example of this modelThe missile has also emerged as an important Indian defence export, with the Philippines becoming its first foreign customer.
Putin’s visit comes ahead of BRICS
Putin is expected to arrive in New Delhi ahead of the BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13The summit will bring several world leaders to the Indian capital, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Modi-Putin meeting is expected to cover defence as well as wider bilateral issues, including trade, energy, nuclear cooperation and the changing global geopolitical situation.
(With inputs from agencies)
