In a significant but hitherto unreported move, top executives from leading Indian arms manufacturers, including Adani Defence and Bharat Forge, convened in Russia this year to explore potential joint ventures. The meetings, which took place during the first visit of Indian defense business leaders to Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, underscore India’s strategic efforts to reorient its decades-old defense ties with Russia towards joint development of weapons.
The visit by the Indian defense-industrial delegation, led by India’s Defence Production Secretary, Sanjeev Kumar, aimed to lay the groundwork for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India on December 4-5. The discussions in Moscow focused on the potential for manufacturing spares for the Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jet and other Russian-origin air defense and weapon systems. Additionally, a Russian proposal to set up production units in India for developing equipment that could be exported to Moscow was also on the table.
“Russia has been India’s top arms supplier for decades,” said one of the sources familiar with the matter. “The talks were about leveraging this relationship to support India’s self-reliance in defense.”
The Indian government’s push to make India a global manufacturing hub, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, adds complexity to the scenario. Any potential collaboration with Russia risks setting back plans by Indian defense firms to jointly develop Western arms. Western diplomats have previously expressed concerns that India’s defense ties with Russia and the vast amount of Russian-origin arms used by the Indian military—totaling about 36%—pose a key obstacle to the transfer of sensitive military technology to India.
A broad delegation of representatives from defense units of Indian conglomerates, state-owned firms, and startups developing drones and artificial intelligence for military use attended the meetings. An executive at Bharat Forge, a unit of engineering conglomerate Kalyani Group that makes components for missiles and artillery guns, attended the meetings to source or jointly develop components for Russian-origin tanks and aircraft and to explore potential future collaboration on helicopters.
Ashish Rajvanshi, Chief Executive of Adani Defence and Aerospace, a unit of billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate, was also present at the meetings. Additionally, an executive from the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers advisory group, which lists more than 500 arms and military equipment makers as its members, including the defense arms of conglomerates Tata Sons and Larsen & Toubro, and state-owned firms such as Bharat Electronics, attended the discussions.
However, Indian firms remain cautious about striking new deals with Russia due to the risk of secondary sanctions. “While India can use diplomatic outreach and lobbying to offer some protection from sanctions, the firms would have to factor in the political risks themselves,” said an Indian defense official.
The meetings highlight the delicate balancing act that Indian defense firms must navigate as they seek to strengthen ties with Russia while pursuing collaborations with Western partners. As India aims to become a global manufacturing hub, the outcomes of these discussions could significantly shape the future of its defense industry and its strategic partnerships.