India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in New Delhi on Friday to discuss the strengthening of their partnership in the defense sector. The talks included a range of issues on bilateral defense cooperation, such as military-to-military ties, regional peace, and security, and industrial partnership. They expressed satisfaction with the "continued trust and mutual respect" between the two nations, particularly in the defense sector. Shoigu was in India to attend the summit of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Russia remains the top supplier of weapons to India, with around 45% of India's overall imports between 2017 and 2022 coming from Russia, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). India's military platforms are mostly made in Russia, with 70 to 85% being of Russian-made, according to the US-based Stimson Center. The Indian Army uses Russian-made tanks and rifles, while the Air Force uses Sukhoi fighter jets and MiG choppers. The Indian Air Force (IAF) also operates three batteries of the state-of-the-art S-400 missile systems.
To reduce its reliance on foreign defense imports, the Indian government has encouraged domestic manufacturing of arms and systems under the 'Make in India' policy. Several Russian companies have entered into joint ventures with their Indian counterparts, most notably the joint production of AK-203 rifles in Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) and the manufacturing of the Brahmos missile systems.
Although defense has been one of the strongest pillars of India-Russia partnership for decades, both countries have pledged to diversify their trade basket in recent months. Negotiations on a trade pact between India and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are ongoing. Bilateral trade between the two countries hit an all-time high of $44 billion in 2022-23, primarily driven by Russian crude exports to India. In recent months, Moscow has become the biggest source of oil for the world's fifth-biggest economy, overtaking India's traditional crude suppliers.
