Defence cooperation between Russia and India is expected to stay strong despite pressure from US sanctions, mainly because of Moscow's important role in helping New Delhi to achieve indigenisation in defence manufacturing, a retired Commodore Seshadri Vasan, Director General of Chennai Centre for Chinese Studies (C3S) and the Regional Director of National Maritime Foundation (NMF), told Sputnik India.
Despite the sanction-related pressure, India and Russia will continue to engage through well-established mechanisms such as the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), the next meeting for which is scheduled in December, he asserted.
"India-Russia defence cooperation has remained stable, as testified by recent visits to Russia by Prime Minister Modi and NSA Doval. India has made it clear that it will engage with whichever country helps it in its indigenisation programme," Vasan remarked. "And even the West understands from its past experience that India can’t be pushed beyond a certain limit."
Vasan's comments come against the backdrop of the US Treasury and State Department designating 14 Indian defence companies and two individuals for what they described as supplying "dual-use technology" such as microelectronics, Integrated Circuits (ICs), capacitors, radar apparatus, capacitors, bearings and machine parts among others to Russia.
Overall, the US authorities have imposed sanctions against close to 400 entities across 17 jurisdictions for helping Russia. Yet, there is no confirmation from India on the US claims.
"An important point here is to note that all countries have their own definition of dual-use technology. There's a grey area here. What might be classified as dual use technology by the US might not be the same in another jurisdiction," Vasan stressed.
The US had sent a "geostrategic message" to India through the latest round of multi-country sanctions, which were announced in the final days of the Biden administration before the presidential election on 5 November, Vasan underscored.
"While the US wants India to be a strategic partner, it is clear that it wants us to be a strategic partner on its terms. India, meanwhile, has been clear that it would like to exercise its strategic autonomy. This is where there is a clash of interests," he said.
He mentioned the case of delay in the supply of technology to India to develop F404-IN20 engines for home-grown Tejas Mk1A aircraft, adding that the US has been using defence deals as a way to "exert pressure" on India.
The imposition of sanctions poses potential challenges to India’s indigenisation trajectory, particularly given the strengthened defence ties with the US in recent years, the expert noted. On a positive note, oversight of defence cooperation continues at the highest level, he concluded, citing the recent phone conversation between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Indian NSA Ajit Doval, following the announcement of the sanctions.