India, Russia to manufacture military hardware and its spare parts in India

India and Russia have agreed to set up joint ventures in India to manufacture spare parts, components, and other products for military hardware and systems originally made or supplied by Russia, including tanks, fighter jets, ships, missiles, and the spare parts needed to maintain them. The announcement came after a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation.

The joint ventures will primarily supply the Indian Armed Forces, addressing long-standing delays in importing critical spare parts from Russia that have affected the maintenance of tanks, aircraft, ships, and missile systems. The agreement also allows for exports to “mutually friendly third countries”, with both governments’ approval, giving India a potential role in the global defence market.

The initial focus of local manufacturing will be on tanks and armoured vehicles, fighter jets and transport aircraft, missile and air defence systems like S-400 and S-500, naval vessels or key components, and critical spare parts required for maintenance. This ensures India’s Russian-origin equipment remains operational while building domestic manufacturing capability.

This represents a shift from the traditional buyer-seller relationship to a collaborative model, emphasizing Make-in-India, technology transfer, and eventual co-production of advanced defence systems. Local production will ensure faster maintenance and operational readiness of key systems.

While the focus is on India, Russia’s role is significant. Moscow will provide technology, expertise, and co-investment, but will not source these parts for its own armed forces, which continue to rely on domestic production. Russia benefits strategically by strengthening ties, supporting India’s defence self-reliance, and sharing in potential profits from exports.

India currently imports about 36% of its military equipment from Russia and 10–13% from the United States. Globally, India’s share in arms production is modest (~1.1%), compared with the US (~50%), China (~16%), and Russia (~4%). By manufacturing parts locally, India will not only maintain its existing systems efficiently but also gradually expand its defence capabilities, strengthening self-reliance and strategic independence.

The recent India-Russia defence joint ventures are expected to draw international attention, particularly from the United States, which has been closely monitoring global engagements with Moscow following the ongoing geopolitical tensions. While Washington has increasingly imposed tariffs and issued strong warnings regarding cooperation with Russia, it has not publicly commented on these specific Indian defence projects.

Indian officials maintain that the collaborations are intended solely to meet the operational requirements of India’s armed forces and do not involve the export of equipment to Russia. New Delhi continues to emphasise its policy of strategic autonomy, balancing multiple defence partnerships while pursuing indigenous capability development.

In short, the India-Russia joint ventures will allow India to produce, maintain, and potentially export Russian-made military equipment on its own soil, while Russia provides technology and support. The initiative marks a step toward faster operational readiness, stronger indigenous manufacturing, and a larger strategic role for India in global defence, all while navigating the complexities of international defence diplomacy.