The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

The 21st bilateral summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin on December 6, 2021, preceded by the first ever India-Russia 2+2 Dialogue, meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu under the framework of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and the two foreign ministers co-chairing the two Inter-Governmental Commissions (one on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) gave further impetus to the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

Of the 28 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed between India and Russia, following four pertained to defence or could impact defence -

• Programme of the Military-Technical Cooperation from 2021-2031;
• Roadmap for science, technology and innovation cooperation;
• Agreement on technology protection due to cooperation in the field of research and use of outer space for peaceful purposes and building and operation of launch vehicles and ground-based space infrastructure, and;
• MoU between Opto-electronics Factory, Dehradun and JSC Rosoboronexport.

The joint statement titled ‘INDIA-RUSSIA: Partnership for Peace, Progress and Prosperity’ spoke of positively assessing the multi-faceted India-Russia relations that span various areas of cooperation including political and strategic, economy, energy, military and security, science and technology, culture and humanitarian cooperation, which are being further strengthened. Both sides welcomed the enhanced cooperation in space including in the human spaceflight programmes and satellite navigation and agreed to study the prospects of the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the development of launch vehicles and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, including planetary exploration.

Both sides welcomed the enhanced cooperation in space including in the human spaceflight programs and satellite navigation

In terms of Military and Military-Technical Cooperation, the statement included following:

• Responding to India’s quest for self-sufficiency, military and military-technical cooperation is reorienting presently to joint research and development, co-development and joint production of advanced defence technology and systems.
• Both sides agreed to continue and expand regular defence dialogue, mutual training and exercises, subject matter expert exchanges and other activities.
• Reiterated commitment to upgrade the defence cooperation, including facilitating joint development and production of military equipment, components and spare parts, enhancing the after-sales service system, progress towards mutual recognition of quality control and regular joint exercises of the Armed Forces of the two countries;
• Both nations to work together in advanced and emerging fields of defence technology, and in niche domains of military capabilities.
• Encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian origin arms and defence equipment under ‘Make in India’ programme through transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures for meeting needs of Indian Armed Forces and subsequent export to mutually friendly third countries.
• Recognition of the requirement of an institutional arrangement for reciprocal provision of logistic support and services for the Armed Forces.

Following were the two major pacts signed at the inaugural ‘2+2 dialogue’ -

• Manufacture of Quantity 6,01,427 x AK-203 Assault Rifles in India. The contract initially agreed under an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) in 2019, will be executed by the Indo-Russian Private Limited (IRPL) joint venture (JV). The newly-formed Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and Munitions India Limited (reconstituted from the Ordnance Factory Board) will jointly own 50.5 per cent stake in IRPL; Kalashnikov has a 42 per cent share in the JV, while Russia’s defence export agency Rosonboronexport holds the remaining 7.5 per cent in the project. Under the deal, Russia will directly deliver 20,000 AK-203’s for $1,100 apiece to meet the Indian Army’s urgent operational requirements. These rifles would supplement 70,000 AK-203’s which India had agreed to import from Russia in August 2021 for 324 crore. The manufacture of balance AK-203 rifles by IRPL at Korwa, Amethi will likely begin in 2022.


(Left to Right) Ka-226T and MiG-29
• India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission On Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC). Instituted in 2000, the annual IRIGC-M&MTC meets alternately held in Delhi and Moscow. This pact has been extended by 10 years – up to year 2031. It is of vital importance to India as over 60 per cent of military platforms in the Indian Military are either of Soviet or Russian origin. It benefits the commerce for both India and Russia with regard to availability of spares, after sales maintenance and other diverse military equipment related issues.

Before the inaugural 2+2 Dialogue, there was speculation that a Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) would be signed since both countries had reportedly reached the final phase of negotiation for the agreement. Signing of RELOS will allow militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies. Apparently, inking of this agreement has been left for a later date, perhaps during the next round of the 2+2 Dialogue in 2022.

Both nations to work together in advanced and emerging fields of defence technology, and in niche domains of military capabilities

There are many Indo-Russian defence deals which are either ongoing or frozen, some of which are -

1. MoD had approved $1.5 billion purchase of Russian 9K338 Igla-S (SA-24 Grinch) man-portable very short-range defence systems (VSHORADS) in 2018 to plug operational gaps in Army’s infantry units - 5,175 Igla missiles and 800 launchers of which 2,300 missiles to be imported, 1260 acquired in kit form for assembly by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and the remainder license-produced;
2. Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) in 2015 to acquire and locally build 200 x Kamov Ka-226T light utility helicopters (LUHs) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Army;
3. The IAF is in negotiations with Russia to procure an additional squadron of 21 twin-engine MiG-29 fighters and 12 x extra HAL-built Su-30 MKI’s, and;
4. Leasing of another Project 971 ‘Akula’ (Schuka-B)-class nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) for the Indian Navy, in addition to the one it had hired in March 2019 for 10 years for $3 billion and which is scheduled for delivery in 2025.

India and Russian have set a target for $30 billion in trade and $50 billion in investment by 2025

The friendship between India and Russian has stood the test of times and through difficult situations. Both have now signed a programme of cooperation in the field of defence for the next ten years (2021-2031) and set a target for $30 billion in trade and $50 billion in investment by 2025. The world is witnessing geostrategic changes. The US has pushed Russia and China in tighter embrace while India joining the QUAD is looked askance by Russia and China. However, these would not shake India-Russia friendship. Accelerating the pace of defence cooperation would be good for both including focusing on emerging and niche technologies that would influence wars of the future.