This is according to Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) Dmitry Shugayev.
"Russia still remains one of the main ‘players’ in the Indian arms market. Thus, over the past five years, the total value of exports of Russian military products to India has exceeded $13 billion," Shugayev told journalists ahead of the Aero India 2023 show.
He added that, despite the "unprecedented" pressure on New Delhi from Western countries led by the United States over Russia's special operation in Ukraine, India continues to be one of Russia's main partners in the field of military-technical cooperation - the portfolio of orders is more than $10 billion.
The Russian official explained that cooperation in defense is exempt from any "political fluctuations". It is rather characterized, in the first place, by the course taken up by the Indian leadership towards localitary production at domestic enterprises under the 'Make in India' and 'Self-reliant India' principles.
What Russian Weapons Are Most Sought-After in India and Southeast Asia?
India, as well as Southeast Asia, show a huge interest in such types of Russian arms as fighter jets, air defense systems, and drones, Shugayev said. These are:
the Sukhoi Su-30;
the MiG-29 fighter aircraft;
heavy helicopters, such as Mi-17, Mi-24/35 and Ка-28/31;
the Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle;
a wide range of air defence systems, like the S-400 Triumf, the Pechora-2M;
surface-to-air missile systems like the Pantsir;
man-portable air defense missile system (MANPADS) like Strela-2M, among others.
Despite western sanctions, Russia fulfills all obligations under its contracts with foreign partners, while offering new areas (projects) for cooperation in the defence aread, Shugayev said.
The Russian official also noted that the special military operation provided an opportunity for foreign observers to witness Russian arms in action and discover for themselves the high technical capabilities and reliability of Russian weapons, which, as a result, boosted their interest in Russian military equipment.