India abandons Russian weapons in favour of American ones – Bloomberg

India has sharply reduced orders for defence equipment from Russia and now buys more from Western suppliers. Source: Bloomberg Details: Last year, Russia supplied 36% of India's armaments, down from 76% in 2009.

This is a significant shift in strategy for a country that has always sourced its armaments from Moscow.

Plans by India and Russia to jointly develop and construct helicopters and modern fighter jets had previously been postponed, according to top Indian officials with firsthand knowledge of the matter. Furthermore, officials warn that a proposal to lease a submarine in Russia to train an Indian crew is now unlikely to be implemented. India is now building its own naval vessels.

The only items New Delhi has yet to receive from Moscow are two warships and missile defence batteries that India had ordered from Russia before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The refusal to buy further Russian armaments highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to minimise reliance on Moscow, despite the fact that his administration continues to purchase cheap energy from Russia and provides diplomatic assistance to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India is now purchasing more weaponry from Western businesses and attempting to manufacture its own with US and French assistance. Washington has lifted restrictions on developing countries' access to innovative technologies over the last two decades.

According to a report by the US Congressional Research Service, India has awarded contracts  worth about US£20 billion for US-made items since 2008. In October of this year, the Indian government struck a deal worth more than US£3 billion for 31 long-range drones built by General Atomics, an American defence company. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, an Indian state-owned company, and General Electric are also nearing a deal to collaborate on the development of upgraded jet engines for light combat aircraft.

The authorities reached an agreement on the terms of the partnership during Modi's state visit to the United States last year. However, New Delhi and Moscow continue to co-produce rifles and missiles, and Russia remains the leading provider of military weaponry to the South Asian nation. Furthermore, India still relies on Russia in terms of nuclear capability.

"Russia remains the only country which offers its nuclear submarines to India. India's partnership with Western countries will be incomplete until both sides find a way to talk about nuclear issues," says Anit Mukherjee, a senior lecturer at King's College London who specialises in Indian military and foreign policy. Background: 

• China, India and Turkiye, which became the main buyers of Russian coal following the EU embargo, have significantly curtailed their purchases from Russia since the beginning of 2024.
• Due to sanctions against Russia, India has refused to purchase liquefied natural gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project.
• According to European and US officials, India has become Russia's second-largest supplier of critical technologies after China as Russia itself faces Western sanctions.

Alina Shtempel for Ekonomichna Pravda

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