Russia proposes defense and nuclear technology upgrades to India at BRICS Summit

During the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Russia has proposed several major industrial and technological expansions to its bilateral cooperation with India. On the defense front, Russia has offered the Izdeliye 177S advanced engine for India’s Su-30MKI fighter jet fleet. This engine is designed to provide up to 14.5 tonnes of thrust and a 7 per cent reduction in fuel consumption while maintaining similar dimensions to the current AL-31F/FP engines.

In the energy and resource sectors, the Russian state-owned company Rosatom has offered to provide nuclear technologies, including large-capacity reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs), to support India’s goal of expanding its nuclear capacity. Additionally, Russia is seeking cooperation in critical minerals, specifically targeting projects involving titanium, zirconium, and rare-earth materials.

These proposals follow meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin, where both leaders discussed reaching a bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030. The discussions emphasize deepening industrial ties across defense, energy, and mineral sectors.