India is likely to evaluate another determined pitch for the Su-57 stealth fighters during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s three-day visit to New Delhi.
Putin arrived in New Delhi on September 10 to a red-carpet welcome.
He is slated to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the two-day 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled for September 12–13, where the Su-57 deal is expected to be discussed, along with other weapon systems.
“The Su-57 is a very sophisticated aircraft and one of the best in the world. The issue of selling these aircraft to India is on the agenda,” Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing ahead of Putin’s visit to India.
⚡️ 360° camera footage and a red carpet: see how Russian President Vladimir #Putin was welcomed in India
The President’s visit will continue until 13 September, when he will take part in the 18th #BRICS Summit pic.twitter.com/N18BvanB9Z
— Russian Embassy in South Africa 🇷🇺 (@EmbassyofRussia) September 11, 2026
In June 2026, Putin himself renewed the export pitch, citing the former FGFA (Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft) collaboration between the two allies and calling it the world’s best fifth-generation aircraft.
At the time, he reaffirmed that Russia was ready to work with India “without any issues or limitations.”
Similarly, the Su-57 reportedly came up in discussions when Putin and Modi met at the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek.
What Has Been On Offer So Far
At Aero India 2025, Russia offered India a “golden deal” that included supplying off-the-shelf aircraft, producing the Su-57 in India, and helping develop India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The following month, the offer was modified by inserting the prospect of using existing Su-30MKI infrastructure to facilitate local manufacturing of the Su-57 in India.
Moscow added new provisions to it in November 2025, including full licensed production, technology transfer, and a “two-seat variant,” which was believed to appeal more to India since it was earlier involved in the development of the twin-seater FGFA (Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft) project with Moscow.
Russian authorities have since said they are eager to work with India to further improve the aircraft and jointly produce an additional three to five squadrons of the fighter in India.
India Wants Su-57 Production Technology
The Kremlin press secretary Peskov told the press that India had sought production technology for the Su-57. “The Indian side is requesting production technologies, and this is a matter for further discussion,” he stated at a press interaction.
“Every country, when it has brand-new sophisticated machines, it wants to keep the technology within itself,” Peskov told reporters, sharing Russian apprehensions. Nonetheless, he emphasized that the discussions are ongoing about sharing production technology because of the special strategic partnership between the two countries, though he clearly acknowledged some reluctance to part with the technology.
This would put local production and technology transfer at the center of the ongoing Su-57 discussions, which may precede a deal for India given its “Make in India” aspirations.
Interestingly, Russian officials have repeatedly reiterated that the Su-57 offer includes technology transfer.
Last year, for instance, a senior official from the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport offered “unrestricted technology transfer,” adding that it would cover the full fifth-generation ecosystem, including avionics, engines, sensors, stealth materials, and other classified systems. The official also said that Moscow was ready to offer training in advanced air weapons, low-signature technology, AESA radar, fifth-generation engines, optics, and artificial intelligence.
However, aircraft technology differs from production technology.
A country can get limited aircraft tech without full production technology, leaving it dependent on the seller for future builds or upgrades. In contrast, a full production technology transfer enables local manufacturing, including licensed or joint production, greater self-reliance, and the ability to modify or indigenize the design.
The Indian strategic community and IAF veterans have had reservations about true technology transfer from Moscow, despite its grand offers.
“The Russians are unlikely to part with the technology fully, and once we have paid the money and signed a contract, there wouldn’t be much to do about it,” former IAF pilot and veteran, Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) told EurAsian Times earlier. “It would be great if India could arm-twist the Russians into transferring crucial fifth-generation technology. However, producing the Su-57 and expanding cooperation would not benefit India.”
India’s long-standing defense goal is to reduce import dependence and develop domestic manufacturing of advanced systems, and access to production technology would let state-owned HAL and Indian industry build the aircraft locally, similar to the long-running licensed production of the Su-30MKI.
Moreover, production technology, especially when paired with source-code or systems access, would make it easier for India to integrate Indian weapons and sensors, maintain and upgrade the fleet independently, reduce vulnerability to sanctions or supply disruptions, and potentially absorb know-how useful for the AMCA program.
India withdrew from the joint Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) program with Russia in 2018 partly because of limited access to technology, workshare disputes, and insufficient control over critical systems. This is why India now insists on deeper production technology and greater industrial participation.
Responding to Peskov’s claims, former IAF fighter pilot and avid Russia watcher, Squadron Leader Vijainder K. Thakur said on X, “The key question now is not simply whether India will buy the Su-57. It is what Russia is prepared to offer in terms of production technology, localization and industrial participation—and what India considers sufficient to justify acquiring a fifth-generation fighter instead of waiting for the AMCA.”
The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, indicated last year that the service might have to opt for an off-the-shelf purchase of a fifth-generation stealth aircraft.
“As far as the Su-57 is concerned, I just want to say that we have to weigh all the options, and we in the defense ministry and the Indian Air Force have a very set process for the induction of any weapon system, and that process will be followed. So what comes will depend on what meets the requirement and what is best for us,” he stated at the time.
India Uncertain
In late July 2026, Indian Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said India has no plans to acquire a “new version of the Sukhois,” which appeared to be an indirect reference to the Su-57. “No, we have not thought about Sukhois. If you are asking about the new version of the Sukhois, the answer is no. But we are actively considering upgrading the existing Sukhois…” he said, referring to the Su-30MKI fighters that India has license-produced.
Despite this, veterans and experts believe that India has not closed the door on a potential deal. Indian Air Force veteran and former pilot, Air Marshal Anil Chopra (ret), told the EurAsian Times that although the Defense Secretary’s statement carried weight, it was not issued at the highest political level, leaving open the possibility that New Delhi is managing public messaging with an eye toward relations with the US and Western partners.
Moreover, the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) chief, Dr. D.K. Sunil, told the media in April 2026 that a quote on Russian investment in production facilities was sought after the Russians said roughly 50% of the existing manufacturing facilities could be used to produce this aircraft with additional investment, as the EurAsian Times reported at the time.
It could thus be conjectured whether India is playing hardball with Russia to maximize its gains from a potential deal in the form of production technology.
India currently faces a growing stealth gap vis-à-vis China, and potentially, even Pakistan. China already has two stealth fighters—the J-20 and the J-35—and is expected to arm Islamabad with the latter. Meanwhile, India’s own fifth-generation fighter program, AMCA, is unlikely to become operational any time before mid-2032.
Facing a rapidly dwindling squadron strength, the IAF is inching closer to signing a deal for 114 Rafale fighter jets, 94 of which will be produced locally. However, it will not help close the growing technological gap between India and its adversaries, particularly since China is already testing two sixth-generation fighter prototypes—the J-36 and the J-50.
Adding the Su-57 to the IAF’s arsenal may help close this gap, bridging the gap until the AMCA is ready for induction.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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