'Indian partners interested in defence cooperation as before': Russia junks media reports that India is pivoting away

Russia said India, as before, is still interested in defence cooperation with the country, denying Reuters report that alleged New Delhi wants to distance itself from Moscow in this area. On Sunday, Reuters in a report cited sources alleging that India is seeking to distance itself from Russia after the ability of the largest arms suppliers to supply munitions and spares was hobbled by the war in Ukraine. ‘Have no such information’ Commenting on Reuters report, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told TASS, “We (Russia) have no such information. This is all on Reuter’s conscience. Our Indian partners, as before, are interested, in cooperation, including in this (defence) area.” What Reuters’ report said on India-Russia defence cooperation? The report quoted Nandan Unnikrishnan, a Russia expert at New Delhi think tank the Observer Research Foundation, saying: “We are not likely to sign any major military deal with Russia. That would be a red line for Washington.” It also quoted four sources, who spoke on condition on anonymity, saying the alleged move by New Delhi comes despite Moscow’s offers. The report even said it did not receive any response for comment from the foreign and defence ministries of India as well as Russia. Reuters report claimed that “India is now gradually turning West as the United States looks to strengthen ties in the Indo-Pacific region, hoping to contain an ascendant China by weaning the South Asian nation off a traditional dependence on Russia.” In 2023, India and the US signed a deal for General Electric (GE.N), to produce engines in India to power its fighter jets, the first such US concession to a non-ally. Both the countries also plan to “fast-track” technology co-operation and co-production in areas ranging from air combat to intelligence. India’s weapons import from Russia According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia supplied 65 per cent of India’s weapons purchases of more than $60 billion during the last two decades, but the Ukraine war hastened the impetus to diversify its weapons base. The Reuters report quoted officials and experts saying Russia publicly urged India to step up defence ties, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly turned his focus to domestic production with Western technology. Such efforts would better fit PM Modi’s “Make in India” programme to encourage domestic manufacturing. Weapons, from Soviet or Russian-origin tanks to an aircraft carrier and surface-to-air missile systems, make up more than 60 per cent of India’s military hardware. The report quoted officials saying New Delhi will require Russian spares for their maintenance and repair for nearly two decades. They jointly make the BrahMos cruise missile and plan to produce AK-203 rifles in India. Halting trade will push Russia closer to China The report cited officials saying India must remain the largest buyer of its arms from Russia and halting such trade would push Moscow closer to Beijing, the only other major economy it deals with. “Arms purchase buys you influence. By shutting them out you make them subservient to China,” the report quoted a retired security official as saying. “Trade with Russia in energy and other areas would help “keep it as far away as possible from China,” Unnikrishnan said. India is eyeing French jets for its latest aircraft carrier and wants to make submarines with French, German or Spanish technology, and fighter jets with American and French engines, Reuters quoted sources as saying. “India’s multi-alignment will continue, to straddle ties with Russia and balance it with the West, but it will not be an equal distribution,” the report quoted Swasti Rao, Eurasia expert at the state-run Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, as saying.