Russia's Rosoboronexport To Offer New Joint Venture Defence Projects To India
Moscow is in talks with New Delhi to kickstart a raft of joint projects for the India tri-services with plans to locally produce high-tech products under the ‘Make in India’ programme.
Yelahanka, Bengaluru: Not just the US, Russia is also vying to grab its share of the ‘Make In India’ pie by offering a raft of projects under this programme of the Narendra Modi government, according to Russia’s state-owned Rosoboronexport.
Rosoboronexport, a permanent exhibitor at Aero India, is the organiser of Russia’s collective display at the Aero India 2023 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru.
“The military-technical cooperation between Russia and India is an example of industrial partnership with a number of completed and ongoing joint projects for all services of the (Indian) armed forces,” said Alexander A. Mikheev, Rosoboronexport Director General on the sidelines of the ongoing Aero India show that began today.
Mikheev also said, “Today we are offering new points of cooperation within the joint development and production of high-tech products along with the Indian companies under the ‘Make in India’ programme in compliance with all localisation and technology transfer requirements.”
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This time Rosoboronexport is exhibiting 200 advanced Russian made armaments and military hardware, including the advanced Su-57E fifth-generation, multifunctional fighter, the Checkmate light tactical aircraft, the IL-76MD-90A(E) military transport aircraft and the IL-78MK-90A tanker aircraft, the Su-35 and the MiG-35D multifunctional frontline fighter.
This comes in the backdrop of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. The NSA was in Moscow from February 7-9 during which period he also met Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev even as both sides vowed to work towards enhancing India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership.
The Russian defence giant will also present the Ka-226T light utility helicopter, the production of which is expected to be launched under the ‘Make in India’ programme, which has been pending for a long time.
The negotiations to produce the Russian Kamov Ka-226T choppers under $1 billion deal have been going on for almost 10 years now. The idea was to manufacture 160 Kamov choppers out of 200 procured for the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force while replacing the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.
Meanwhile, India is now looking at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.’s (HAL) Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), which has slowed the talks for buying the Kamov.
Russia is also planning to sell to the Indian armed forces the upgraded versions of Ka-52E and Mi-28NE attack helicopters and Mi-171Sh military transport helicopters.
According to Rosoboronexport, there is a growing demand for Ka-52E, Mi-28NE and Mi-171Sh choppers in the Asia-Pacific region.
Russia is also showcasing specialised military drones at the ongoing Aero India such as Orion-E strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Orlan-10 reconnaissance UAV and Orlan-30, which is a new UAV launched by Moscow in 2022.
“Rosoboronexport plans to hold substantive meetings and negotiations with the Ministry of Defence and other security agencies of India (for these products),” the company said in a statement.
It added, “The company expects to work extensively with state-owned and private enterprises of the Indian defence industry with a view to expanding the scope of industrial partnership between Russia and India in accordance with the ‘Make In India’ requirements,” it added.
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