FILE PHOTO: Russian S-400 missile air defence systems
| Photo Credit:
TATYANA MAKEYEVA
India cleared the purchase of ₹2.38 trillion ($25 billion) of weapons including more Russian-made missile systems, according to the Ministry of Defence, a move that could potentially annoy the US.
The Defence Acquisition Council, headed by Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the purchase of five more Russian-made surface-to-air missile systems at an estimated cost of $6.1 billion, an official aware of the matter said, asking not to be named as the issue is sensitive.
“The S-400 system will counter enemy long-range air vectors targeting vital areas,” the ministry said in a statement, without giving more details.
India has three of these systems, which were used in the four-day conflict with Pakistan in May last year. Two more are likely to be delivered in the next few months.
Despite a drop, Russia continues to be India’s biggest supplier of military hardware accounting for over a third of weapons purchases, according to a 2025 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks global arms sales.
The South Asian country is diversifying sourcing of military equipment and is the biggest buyer of French hardware, the report said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has criticized India for buying Russian hardware. The move to buy more Russian equipment could be a potential irritant in the relationship, which deteriorated last year as talks over a trade deal dragged.
The acquisition of the additional missile defense system also shows the South Asian country continues to trust old allies such as Moscow when it comes to cutting-edge military hardware.
The ministry also cleared the overhaul of Russian-made fighter jets and the purchase of indigenous, unmanned, remotely-piloted, strike aircraft, the ministry said, without giving numbers.
These vehicles can carry out “offensive counter and coordinated air operations,” besides “surveillance and reconnaissance activities,” the Ministry of Defence said.
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Published on March 29, 2026
