Could a fighter aircraft engine rumour sabotage one of the most strategically significant defence summits of the year? Moscow appears hell-bent on ensuring that it doesn’t. Russian authorities have outrightly denied the reports of supplying RD-93MA engines for Pakistan’s JF-17 jets produced by China as “mischievous and baseless.” only days before President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit to New Delhi for the India–Russia summit. Sources in both capitals highlight that there has long been an understanding: Russia will not supply defence equipment to Pakistan that will undermine India’s security interests.
The spat, underpinned by political squabbles in India, comes on the heels of high-stakes negotiations over advanced military equipment. At the top of the defence agenda are additional units of the S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile defence system, potential joint manufacture of the successor S-500, and negotiations to acquire the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter with full technology transfer. These systems are among the most sophisticated weapons in the Russian arsenal, and induction into Indian defence can significantly alter the regional balance.
The S-400 system, presently deployed in India, has demonstrated remarkable capability. During the May 2025 war known as Operation Sindoor, the system not only intercepted the enemy aircraft at distances greater than 300 kilometers but also compelled Pakistan to move its air assets far back from the border. Egged on by its different missile systems, including the 40N6 at a range of 400 km, the S-400 radar system can detect up to 300 targets simultaneously, attacking everything from low-flying aircraft to ballistic missiles. Its induction at Adampur and Bhuj successfully repelled constant long-range Chinese-bought weapon attacks, proving its installation as defensive armor as well as strategic deterrent.
Even as S-500 acquisition has been reported, Russian sources say the system is in advanced development. The S-500 Prometey is designed to counter hypersonic missiles and low-orbit satellites, with the ranges of engagement likely to exceed 600 kilometres. Joint production discussions, if materialized, would get India into one of the few countries enjoying access to such cutting-edge air defence technology, and very likely leapfrog existing regional capabilities.
Equally significant is the Su-57 offer. Russia not only sold planes to India but also entire technology transfer, enabling local manufacture through intermediaries such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The Su-57 is stealth-shaped, has composite structures and the Izdeliye 30 engine, and has supercruise ability and reduced radar cross-section. Its avionics suite includes active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and sensor fusion for multi-domain awareness. Local production might protect supply chains from Western sanctions, reduce lifecycle costs, and expand India’s aerospace industrial base. Defence planners are weighing buying two to three squadrons, along with India’s indigenous fifth-generation fighter project with the first flight scheduled for 2028.
The scope of the summit extends beyond defence. Farming collaboration in the form of enhanced fertiliser exports and joint production initiatives is also included, as is increased market access for Indian pharmaceuticals, agri-machinery, and auto parts. Bilateral trade worth $67 billion in 2024 is to be increased to $100 billion by 2030. Talks also aim to bridge a trade deficit of more than $60 billion, with payment channels through national currencies to avoid dollar-denominated caps.
Energy security will be another focal point. India’s imports of Russian oil, which constitute roughly a third of its total intake, have faced a 25% U.S. penalty tariff. September saw a 16% year-on-year decline in shipments, raising questions about diversification. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has emphasised that oil trade decisions are “strictly bilateral,” reflecting New Delhi’s policy of strategic autonomy.
For Moscow, last-minute defence cooperation with India on the threshold of the summit is symbolic and strategic. As one high Russian official characterized it, rumors against Pakistan are “trying to compromise exceptionally promising and forward-looking cooperation, especially on the eve of high and highest level contacts.” For India, the arithmetic is equally clear: advanced Russian hardware like the S-400 and Su-57 are not only acquisitions but instruments of deterrence, in a broader context of economic and geopolitical convergence.
