India and Russia had for decades a relationship built around the Defence agreements and orders based solely on the sale of military equipment, indigenous planes, tanks, ships, missiles and air defence systems flowing through the hands of the Russian suppliers to the Indian forces.
India is now pushing the cooperation towards joint research, co-development, domestic manufacturing and maintenance of the technology, which is its drive to build defence self-reliance.
From Buyer-Seller to Joint Production
The most apparent one is the Indo-Russian joint venture, BrahMos Aerospace, jointly formed by DRDO and NPO-Mashinostroyenia, Russia. The model has Russian and Indian tech input and its production is executed using a broader industrial network. It will show how close is the collaboration that can get in terms of designing and manufacturing sophisticated equipment in India instead of lump-sum importation.
This is the strategy that is spreading to other platforms. India and Russia have agreed with each other to promote joint production of spare parts, components and parts of Russian origin; technology transfer, joint venture arrangements. It aims not only to meet the requirements of Indian military needs but also maybe allow exports to friendly third nations.
Russian Dependence Is Falling, Not Disappearing
The proportion of diversification within India is reflected within the arms-import data. SIPRI estimates that Russia accounted for 40% of Indian major-arms imports in 2021–25, down from 51% in 2016–20 and 70% in 2011–15. However, there was still a measure of dependence on Russia, and India was still running substantial Russian-origin systems and fleets.
That suddenly makes a partnership of another kind. Indian dependence on Russian imports can be minimised and cooperation for upgradation, maintenance, components and some of the advanced technologies can be maintained.
Strategic Autonomy Through Diversification
New Delhi’s strategy isn’t just to replace Moscow with Western suppliers. India has also been strengthening defense ties with other nations such as France, Israel and the USA while increasing its indigenous manufacturing capacity. This provides India with various technology and supply options which do not remove the existing Russian supply chain.
Further development might be more and more industrialised. Heavy promotion of advanced technologies, joint research & development, co-production, critical minerals and rare-earth technologies were among the areas of cooperation stressed by India and Russia in December 2025.
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BrahMos Shows the Export Potential
India also demonstrates the synergy between them that can go beyond the borders of India, with BrahMos. India soon shot into history as the Philippines was the first foreign system to place a customer order in 2022, which was a noble step in India’s ambition to become an exporter of defence. Post-war Indian manufacturing efforts have helped to further develop the country’s manufacturing capability.
The future of the India-Russian defence relationship in this sense may depend more on the quantity of Indian weapons that India can buy from Russia than on the quantity that it is able to design with Russia, manufacture with Russia, sustain with Russia, and market with Russia.
FAQs
Is India ending its defence relationship with Russia?
No. India is diversifying suppliers but will keep military technical cooperation and support for equipment of Russian manufacturers or origin.
What is the BrahMos model?
BrahMos is an Indo-Russian company engaged in the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of a Supersonic Cruise Missile system.
Will India and Russia be able to jointly export defence products together?
Yes. Between the two countries, there is a clear intention of joint manufacturing in India with export to friendly third countries.
