New Delhi

India and Russia on Thursday committed to deepening their defence partnership, with New Delhi indicating strong interest in acquiring additional S-400 air defence systems from Moscow to strengthen its military capabilities.

The talks were held between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov during a high-level delegation meeting, convened a day before the 23rd annual India-Russia summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday night for his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled for Friday.

During the discussions, Singh reiterated India's focus on boosting domestic defence manufacturing for both internal needs and export, and stressed that advanced technologies offer new avenues for collaboration between the two nations.

According to the defence ministry, both sides agreed that India-Russia ties rest on “trust, shared values and mutual respect”.

It is understood that India expressed its intention to purchase more S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, citing their effectiveness during Operation Sindoor. India had signed a USD 5 billion agreement with Russia in 2018 for five S-400 units, despite cautions from the United States regarding possible sanctions under CAATSA. Three S-400 squadrons have already been delivered.

The S-400 platforms played an important role in India’s recent operational deployment, and officials said New Delhi may also evaluate the purchase of Russia’s more advanced S-500 system.

Russia is also reported to have proposed its Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft to India, which is currently assessing options for acquiring a new generation of combat jets.

The meeting took place under the framework of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC).

Belousov assured Singh that Moscow’s defence sector is prepared to support India’s journey toward self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Singh stated that the India-Russia partnership is defined by a strong foundation of trust and shared principles, and forms the cornerstone of their “special and privileged strategic partnership”.

Belousov echoed this sentiment, stressing that the two countries enjoy a longstanding friendship based on respect and confidence. He added that Russia views its defence partnership with India as vital to maintaining stability in the South Asian region and committed to full cooperation in India’s military modernisation.

Singh said bilateral defence ties have expanded considerably since the 2000 strategic partnership declaration, adding that cooperation has continued to progress despite global geopolitical challenges.

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Ahead of their formal talks, Singh and Belousov paid tribute at the National War Memorial.