India approves purchase of Russian S‑400 among new defense orders worth $25bn

Russian missile systems and Su‑30 fighter jet engines are part of a modernization push

Published 27 Mar, 2026 20:16 | Updated 27 Mar, 2026 21:20

The Indian government on Friday approved proposals to buy defense equipment worth $25 billion, including Russian‑made S‑400 air defense missile systems, various types of aircraft, and artillery systems, as part of a rapid military modernization drive.

The procurement proposals were cleared by the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), the Defense Ministry's highest decision‑making body on military purchases, chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

An official statement from the ministry said the approvals include additional Russian S‑400 Triumph systems, transport aircraft to replace the country’s ageing fleet of Soviet‑era An‑32 and Il‑76 planes, and various artillery systems. The procurements also cover armor‑piercing tank ammunition, gun systems and aerial surveillance systems for the army, life‑extension upgrades for Su‑30 fighter jets operated by the air force, and hovercraft for the coastguard, the ministry said.

The statement noted that the new approvals cover five S‑400 units, in addition to the five previously contracted by India in 2017. Three of those have already been delivered, with the remaining two expected to arrive this year, according to media reports. The systems were praised by the Indian military during the standoff with Pakistan in 2025.

Separately, the ministry signed a 4.45‑billion‑rupee ($47 million) contract on Friday with Russia’s military exporter, Rosoboronexport, to acquire Tunguska air defense missile systems for the army.

In total, India has approved 55 proposals worth 6.73 trillion rupees ($71 billion) and signed contracts for another 503 proposals amounting to 2.28 trillion rupees in the fiscal year ending March 31, the statement said, adding that both figures are the highest in a single financial year.

India is the world’s fifth‑largest military spender and the second‑largest arms importer after Ukraine, according to the latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Over 60% of Indian weaponry is of Soviet or Russian origin, although the country has been actively seeking technologies and equipment from a wider range of suppliers, including France, the US, Israel, and Germany, while also increasing the share of domestically developed and produced systems.

https://www.rt.com/india/636454-india-approves-purchase-russian-s400/