After Russia invades Ukraine, the old relations between India and Russia are in discussion again, especially about the defense relationship between the two countries. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during her visit to the US in April that India wants to remain a "good friend" of Western countries.
But he also said that India does not want it to become weak and it has to ensure its security as well. It also meant that India's long-standing dependence on Russia for its security needs would continue.
How dependent is India on Russian weapons?
India is one of the world's largest arms buyers and India had decades of strong defense ties with the former Soviet Union. Russia has remained an important defense ally of India even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. India has an old enmity with Pakistan and relations with China are going through the worst phase in recent times, so India's relationship with Russia is very important.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), an organization that monitors the arms trade around the world, two-thirds of all the weapons that India has bought since 1992 have come from Russia.
At the same time, according to the US-based research institute Stimson Center, 85% of the total weapons with India can be weapons purchased from Russia. These include fighter aircraft, nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, warships, tanks, and highly advanced missiles.
Is India trying to diversify arms purchases?
In the last decade, India's dependence on Russia's weapons has decreased and weapons have been bought from other countries, especially from France. Apart from this, India has also bought weapons from Israel, America, and Britain, but the quantity of these weapons is less.
According to SIPRI data, India bought twice as many weapons from France, America, and Israel in 2021 as compared to 2017. However, Russia remains the main supplier to India.
India has bought Rafale and Mirage fighter aircraft and Scorpion submarines from France.
Recently, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Emmanuel Macron in France, both the leaders said in a joint statement that India and France have further strengthened their cooperation in the defense sector. It has also been agreed to increase cooperation in advanced defense technology.
Similarly, when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited India in April this year, the two countries emphasized strengthening security ties and increasing cooperation in advanced fighter jet technology.
India has also bought advanced weapons from Israel in recent years, such as…
drone equipment
airborne warning system
the anti-missile defense system
precision-guided missile
At the same time, India's military and security ties with America are also getting stronger. There has also been a significant increase in defense trade between the two countries between 2018-19.
India has bought long-range reconnaissance aircraft from America. In addition, the cargo aircraft C-130 is procured. Apart from this, India has also bought missiles and drones from America.
Recently, in a statement issued by the Pentagon, it was said that India and America are also increasing cooperation in the field of space defense and cyber security.
Is India reconsidering its dependence on Russia?
There have been many changes in international politics and diplomacy in recent years and India has come closer to countries like France, America, and Israel. Despite this, India did not criticize Russia for its attack on Ukraine. India made it clear that it will not take any side in this struggle.
Many analysts believe that at this time India has the option of reducing dependence on Russia, which is facing strict sanctions.
Defense and security expert Samir Lalwani at the Stimson Center says that India has got only a few parts of the surface-to-sky missile defense system S-400 that India bought from Russia in 2018. Now India may face difficulties in getting its important parts.
"There are strong reasons to believe that Russia may fail to fulfill its obligation to supply the S-400 systems sold to India," says Lalwani.
Lalwani says that the way Russia suffered heavy losses in Ukraine, indicates that instead of meeting India's needs, Russia will use resources to repair its defense system, and the parts that India will need, They might not be able to meet on time.
He also says that the way some of Russia's equipment failed on the battlefield of Ukraine, will also be seen by the policymakers of India.
Can India run without Russia's weapons?
At this point, it seems unlikely. A US parliamentary report released in October last year said, "India's military cannot function effectively with Russia without Russian weapons. And the Indian military will be dependent on Russian weapons shortly."
It was also said in this report that Russia sells its weapons at attractive prices.
Sangeeta Saxena, the editor of Aviation and Defense Universe, published in Delhi, says that India's army will continue to buy weapons from Russia itself.
Mahakumbh 2025: Prayagraj jammed! road... crowded with buses and trains, long queues on the roads all around; everyone is troubled
Maha Kumbh is going on in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of devotees are coming to take bath in Sangam. Bathing is going on since 3 am today. Due to which traffic jam is being seen on the roads
Weather Update: Yellow alert in 24 states including UP-Bihar, heavy rain here, know- IMD's latest update
Weather Report, IMD Rainfall Alert, Weather Update Today: Monsoon activities have remained in many parts of the country and for two to three days, heavy rains are going to wreak havoc in many states
Service Sector: In October, the service sector got stronger, the demand increased and new jobs got support
India's services sector activity has shown strong growth during October. This growth in the market was seen due to an increase in demand and hiring. This information was given in a monthly survey on
Now Foreign Minister Jaishankar will travel in a bulletproof car with commandos, security increased amid India-Pak tension.
The central government has increased the security of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. ANI quoted sources saying that his security has been increased by adding a bulletproof vehicle to his
DigiYatra: Now your face is the 'boarding pass' at the airport, Scindia launches 'DigiYatra' facility
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the Digiyatra facility on Thursday. Under this, entry of air passengers will be allowed based on a facial recognition system at the airport in the
PM Modi in Kanpur: PM Modi's road show in Kanpur today; CM Yogi will also be with him, SPG took over the security arrangements
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come to Kanpur today at 5.15 pm. He will take out a one-kilometer-long road show in the Gumti area, the densest area of the city. Chief Minister Yogi
Wheat Flour Export: After wheat, now the government's strictness on flour export, their approval will have to be taken
After banning wheat exports in May, the government has decided to put in place a new approval framework for outbound shipments of wheat flour. Exporters of wheat flour will now require the approval of
Claim in India Skills Report-2023: 56% of youth of 22-25 years are capable, 50.3% of people are eligible to get jobs in the country
There is good news for our country with the largest youth population in the world. According to the IndiaSkills Report - 2023, 56% of our youth in the age group of 22-25 years are employable, the
The Archies Trailer Released: 'The Archies', an example of friendship, the trailer of Suhana Khan's debut movie released
The Archies Trailer And Shah Rukh Khan: Suhana Khan, daughter of Hindi cinema superstar Shah Rukh Khan, has been in the news for a long time for her debut film 'The Archies'. Everyone is eagerly
Aftab's voice sampling test today: Police have audio of Aftab-Shraddha's fight, if the voice matches, then the reason for the murder can be known
The voice sampling test of Aftab Poonawala, the main accused in the Shraddha murder case, will be done today i.e. on Monday. For this Delhi Police is taking the accused from Tihar Jail to CBI