India's expanding relations with Russia in the naval domain, particularly their focus on conducting the INDRA signal to the West that India will continue to rebuff their pressure and maintain close ties with its partner, experts say.
Improved maritime interoperability and increased bilateral naval drills are evidence of the
trust-based nature of Russian-Indian relations, according to Moscow-based American political analyst
Andrew Korybko."These sorts of drills aren't carried out with random countries. They require precious time and resources to plan and participate in. India is reminding the West that it won't distance itself from Russia under their pressure while Russia is reminding the world that India is its top regional partner," he told Sputnik India.
Close Russo-Sino ties and the developing Russo-Pakistan relationship have no adverse effect on the decades-long Indo-Russian Strategic Partnership, Korybko elaborated.
Likewise, newly close Indo-US ties, especially in the military and particularly naval dimensions, have no adverse impact on this same partnership, the geopolitical commentator emphasised.
India follows multilateralism and
strategic autonomy as its guiding principles, much like Russia does at present, retired Commodore
Ranjit Rai, India's former Director Naval Intelligence, said in a conversation with Sputnik India.
Moreover, India has not forgotten the assistance that the USSR offered during the India-Pakistan war of 1971, following the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation signed in the same year, he added.
Thus, the bonds of friendship and interoperability have grown stronger since the 1970s, especially in the acquisition of
ships, aircraft, and submarines that followed, as well as in the INDRA joint exercises, that both navies now conduct, he noted.
Despite turning to the US and the West for exercises over the last two decades, and more recently to the Quad, India has continued with INDRA and maintained interoperability, the expert highlighted.
Navies with a global reach operate well beyond their immediate maritime zones, as they could find themselves facing a common challenge, retired Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, former chief of India's Eastern Naval Command, said.
He cited the
anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden as an example, noting that there could be other situations where a coordinated response is necessary to maintain good order at sea or address a humanitarian crisis.
At such times, the experience of having exercised together, speaking a common language, and having built trust over several years can be great catalysts, the defence analyst suggested.
Russia has been a key strategic partner for India through both favourable and challenging times, with the Indian and Russian navies placing great value on this relationship, according to Dasgupta. This is why INDRA is considered one of the most important bilateral drills for the two navies, he added.
The tactical exercise aims to create interoperability and trust between the navies of the two countries so that common challenges at sea can be faced jointly, the veteran mentioned. The increasing relevance of the oceans will throw up new threats in different geographical areas, and both countries need to use their
complementarities to advantage in mitigating their effects, he suggested.
The joint military exercise was established in 2003 to strengthen defence ties between India and Russia. Since 2017, it has taken on a tri-services character, with all three branches of each state participating together every two years. The latest iteration, INDRA 2021, focused on large-scale operations, strategic strikes, and joint air defence, involving soldiers from both countries.