India cools on Russian defense deals, focuses on homegrown tech

India Dec 10, 2025

During President Putin's recent visit, Russia pitched big-ticket defense gear to India—think stealth jets and combat drones.
But India didn't bite, signaling it wants to build more of its own military tech instead of buying from abroad.

Why does it matter?

This is a big move for India's defense strategy. Even with 19 trade agreements signed during the visit, no major arms deals happened.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh pointed out that local production has jumped from ₹46,000 crore in 2014 to ₹1.51 lakh crore in 2025—plus exports have surged from under ₹1,000 crore to nearly ₹24,000 crore in a decade.
Bottom line: India's betting on itself for future security.