Indian defence executives held secret talks in Russia on new joint ventures: Reports

In a significant and previously unreported development, senior executives from several major Indian defence companies, including Adani Defence and Bharat Forge, travelled to Russia this year for rare, closed-door meetings on possible joint ventures, reports Reuters, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

This was the first visit by Indian defence business leaders to Russia since the Ukraine war began in 2022. The trip is part of the Indian government's wider effort to reshape its long-standing defence partnership with Russia by shifting from buying equipment to joint development and co-production.

Any new collaboration with Russia could complicate India’s growing defence cooperation with Western countries. Diplomats from Western nations have repeatedly said that one of the biggest barriers to sharing advanced technologies with India is its deep dependence on Russian-origin weapons. Around 36% of the Indian military’s equipment is still Russian-made, a fact that continues to influence foreign technology-transfer decisions.

The Moscow discussions took place alongside the visit of an Indian defence-industrial delegation on October 29-30, led by Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar. The delegation was preparing for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India on December 4–5.

Spokespersons for both Adani Group and Bharat Forge later denied that their executives attended the meetings. India’s defence ministry and other companies identified by sources did not comment.

What was discussed

Reuters report, citing two sources and an industry executive, the meetings focused on potential cooperation in:

• Manufacturing spare parts for Russian-origin platforms such as the MiG-29 fighter jet
• Joint production of parts for air defence systems and other weapons
• A Russian proposal to set up manufacturing units in India for equipment that could also be exported back to Moscow

All three sources requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.

The delegation included representatives from major private defence companies, public sector undertakings and defence startups working on drones and artificial intelligence

Executives from Bharat Forge reportedly explored opportunities related to tanks, aircraft, and possible future collaboration on helicopters.

Adani Defence and Aerospace was said to be represented by CEO Ashish Rajvanshi, while members of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), which includes over 500 Indian defence companies, also attended.

Russia has been India’s largest arms supplier for decades. During Putin’s recent visit, both sides agreed to rework their defence relationship to focus on joint R&D, co-development, and co-production to support India’s goal of becoming more self-reliant in defence manufacturing.

However, Indian companies are cautious. Any new project with Russia carries the risk of secondary sanctions from Western countries.

In 2024, Reuters reported that a Bharat Forge subsidiary had exported artillery shells to Europe, some of which were later diverted to Ukraine, leading to a diplomatic complaint from Moscow. This episode has made Indian companies more alert to political and compliance risks.

While India can engage diplomatically to reduce these risks, one senior Indian defence official said companies will ultimately have to weigh the political and economic consequences themselves before proceeding with new Russian partnerships.