A rare, undisclosed trip by senior executives from major Indian defence companies to Russia has ignited questions over New Delhi’s strategic balancing act, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The meetings, attended by representatives from firms including Adani Defence and Bharat Forge, marked the first visit by India’s defence industry leaders to Russia since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The discussions came as India seeks to reshape its long-standing military relationship with Russia by shifting toward joint research, development and production of weapon systems. The visits had not been previously reported.
Any new collaboration with Russia risks complicating India’s ambitions to deepen defence cooperation with Western nations, which have long viewed New Delhi’s reliance on Russian hardware – making up roughly 36% of India’s arsenal – as a barrier to sharing sensitive technology. The potential backlash could also undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s drive to transform India, one of the world’s largest arms importers, into an export-oriented defence manufacturing hub.
The talks in Moscow occurred alongside an official Indian defence-industrial delegation visit on October 29–30, led by Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, in preparation for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s December visit to India. While Adani Group denied that any of its executives took part, India’s defence ministry and other companies named by sources did not respond to requests for comment.
Discussions centered on possible joint production in India, including manufacturing spares for Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets and other Russian-origin air defence and weapons systems. According to two sources and another industry executive, Russia also proposed establishing production units in India that could supply equipment back to Moscow. All spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks.
Russia has been India’s principal arms supplier for decades, and both countries reaffirmed plans during Putin’s visit to reorient their defence partnership toward co-development and co-production of advanced systems in support of India’s goal of military self-reliance.
A broad group of Indian representatives attended the discussions, including executives from private conglomerates, state-owned defence units, and startups working on drones and military artificial intelligence. Among them, according to sources, was a Bharat Forge executive exploring joint development of components for Russian-origin tanks, aircraft and potential future helicopter platforms. Adani Defence and Aerospace was reportedly represented by CEO Ashish Rajvanshi, and a member of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers – which includes Tata Sons, Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Electronics – was also present.
Sanctions remain a looming concern. Reuters reported in 2024 that a Bharat Forge subsidiary was among Indian firms whose artillery shells sent to Europe were later diverted to Ukraine, drawing a diplomatic protest from Moscow. Although India may offer limited diplomatic cover, one defence official noted that companies would ultimately need to consider the political and sanctions risks themselves before entering new deals with Russia.
