During the 22nd India-Russia annual summit, Russia agreed to address India’s concerns regarding delays in the supply of spare parts for Russian-origin military platforms. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing the need for expedited solutions. Both leaders acknowledged the importance of addressing the challenges and agreed to expedite the process, including through joint venture partnerships in India for the production of critical spare parts.
The agreement to establish joint production facilities in India comes in response to the inordinate delays in the supply of spares for various Russian-origin platforms to the Indian armed forces, which had raised concerns in New Delhi.
Kwatra further highlighted the importance of co-production of military hardware in the larger context of India-Russia defense ties. He emphasized that both leaders acknowledged the success of existing co-production initiatives and expressed a shared desire to build upon this foundation by adding new equipment as part of collaborative production efforts.
Russia has historically been a significant supplier of military platforms and hardware to India for over seven decades. A joint statement issued after the summit formalized the commitment to “encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for the maintenance of Russian-origin arms and defence equipment under Make-in-India programme through the transfer of technology.” The statement also outlined plans to establish joint ventures for fulfilling the requirements of the Indian armed forces and potential subsequent export to friendly third countries with mutual approval.
The joint statement further emphasized the significance of military and military-technical cooperation as a cornerstone of the Special and Privileged Strategic partnership between India and Russia. It acknowledged India’s pursuit of self-sufficiency in defense and highlighted the evolving partnership towards joint research and development, co-development, and joint production of advanced defense technology and systems.
The statement concluded by affirming the commitment of both sides to sustain the momentum of joint military cooperation activities and expand military delegation exchanges. Modi’s two-day visit to Russia for the annual summit has been closely watched by the West in light of the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
