New Delhi: From offering joint production of Su-57 fighter jets in India and sharing engine technology to an over USD 11-billion upgrade of the Su-30MKI fleet into “Super Sukhois”, Russia has laid out a wide-ranging defence agenda on the table ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit.
The Russian side is also pushing proposals for additional S-400 air-defence systems, the Pantsir-S1M point-defence system, radars and strategic submarines, even as Moscow seeks a larger collaboration with Indian private defence companies.
During his three-day visit, starting Friday, Putin will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.
Sources in the know told ThePrint that Russia is pushing a slew of defence proposals, which are expected to figure in the bilateral discussions, although no major formal defence announcement or agreement is expected during the visit.
The larger Russian pitch, the sources said, is to move the relationship away from a traditional buyer-seller model towards joint production and, wherever possible, joint development.
Moscow is also looking to expand its footprint in India’s private defence industry. Russia has traditionally worked largely with Sate-run Indian defence companies, but is now seeking greater partnerships with private firms, the sources said.
Several major projects are currently at different stages of discussion between the two sides.
Also read: India eyes more S-400s with upcoming Putin visit, Su-57 likely to stay off radar
5 more S-400 regiments
Since ThePrint first reported in November 2025 that India was looking to acquire five more S-400 Triumf air-defence systems, the proposal has moved ahead significantly.
The Defence Ministry has cleared the project and Russia has now submitted its financial bid, estimated at around USD 5 billion.
Also, there is no Make-in-India component in the proposed new S-400 acquisition, contrary to some speculation. However, Russia is offering to establish a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in India, potentially in partnership with a private Indian company.
S-500
Russia has also been pushing India to consider its S-500 air-defence system.
However, the Indian position remains unchanged from what ThePrint reported in November 2025. While India is interested in the capability, it does not currently intend to procure the system.
The reason is that the S-500 is yet to be fully operationalised. India wants to wait and assess its operational performance before taking a decision on possible acquisition, sources said.
Su-57 and engine technology
The most politically significant Russian proposal is the Su-57, with Moscow offering both direct procurement and joint production in India. The sources said Russia is pitching the aircraft as a way for India to bridge its fifth-generation fighter gap until the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) becomes available.
Under the proposal, Russia has offered India two squadrons of Su-57 aircraft off the shelf, along with weapons, including the long-range R-37 air-to-air missile, which New Delhi is particularly interested in.
Moscow has also offered to jointly manufacture another three to five squadrons of the fighter in India, sources said.
The Russian offer goes beyond aircraft production. To sweeten the proposal, Moscow has offered to share technology related to the Su-57’s engine, potentially allowing significant portions of the engine to be manufactured in India. The engine technology offer, however, is conditional on India procuring the Su-57, the sources said.
The proposal is being pushed at the highest political level, with Putin himself raising the issue in discussions with Modi, the sources said. The final decision, therefore, is likely to be driven as much by strategic considerations than purely on the Indian Air Force’s operational preferences.
The IAF remains unconvinced about the aircraft, with its preference continuing to be centred on 114 Rafales, the AMCA and participation in the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS), the sources said.
India’s reservations over the Russian fifth-generation fighter go back to the earlier Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme, from which New Delhi exited in 2018. Despite a government appointed committee pushing for the FGFA deal to go forward, India exited from the programme based on IAF’s recommendation.
India’s exit from the FGFA programme in 2018 was driven by a combination of strategic and practical concerns. Escalating cost was one of the concerns. India had invested Rs 1,483 crore (approximately USD 295 million in 2018) in the FGFA’s preliminary design phase. Continuing would have required USD 35 billion for just 127 aircraft, with per-unit costs ballooning to USD 150–200 million.
The biggest concern for the IAF in 2018 was performance shortfalls. The Su-57’s AL-41F1 engines lacked true super cruise, a hallmark of fifth-generation fighters, and the promised Izdeliye 30 engine remained elusive.
Its stealth was limited to a frontal 60-degree arc, offering little advantage over fourth-generation platforms like the Su-30MKI, IAF’s rationale then had said.
Another issue was the restricted technology transfer. Russia’s reluctance to share critical technologies undermined India’s goal of co-developing a tailored fifth-generation fighter, the sources said. They added that the final concern was Russia’s own limited commitment to the aircraft.
‘Super Sukhoi’
Another major project under active discussion is the upgrade of nearly 260 Su-30MKI fighters into what is being referred to as the “Super Sukhoi” configuration. The project is expected to cost more than USD 11 billion and will be implemented in phases, the sources said.
The upgraded aircraft are expected to receive new AESA radars, modern avionics, enhanced electronic-warfare capabilities and new engines, significantly extending the combat relevance of the IAF’s largest fighter fleet.
One of the most important aspects of the upgrade will be weapons integration.
The sources said the upgraded Su-30MKI could eventually operate the R-37M long-range air-to-air missile, giving the aircraft a capability to engage targets at ranges exceeding 300 km.
The Meteor is currently India’s principal long-range air-to-air missile, but its availability is limited, while both China and Pakistan operate missiles that outmatches the European missile.
The ‘Super Sukhoi’ programme is at an advanced stage of discussions and will involve Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), sources said.
Pantsir-S1M
Another proposal at an advanced stage of discussion is the possible acquisition of the Pantsir-S1M, Russia’s upgraded short-range mobile air-defence system.
The system is designed for point defence of critical military assets, air bases, command posts and other high-value installations.
It combines surface-to-air missiles with twin 30-mm cannons, allowing it to engage aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and precision-guided weapons.
The S1M’s missiles have a reported engagement range of around 30 km, making it a terminal or point-defence layer that can operate alongside longer-range systems such as the S-400.
ThePrint had first reported in 2024 that the Russian system was being offered to India as the Army was looking for a new mobile air-defence capability.
Radars and submarines
Two other strategically important areas are also under discussion with regard to the long-range radars and strategic submarines.
The Sources in the know said Russia has submitted proposals for both, although the details of the specific radar system being offered and the nature and stage of discussions over submarines could not immediately be ascertained.
On submarines, the sources said, the Russian proposal relates to the strategic segment, but declined to provide further details on the platform or the nature of the offer. The two proposals are at different stages of consideration, the sources added.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also read: Overhaul of Sukhois, software defined radios, new helicopters among Rs 1.1 lakh cr projects cleared