Russia-India Su-57 talks hit advanced technical milestone for joint fighter production

Russia-India negotiations for licensed production of the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter, aimed at modernising the Indian Air Force squadrons, are now in an advanced “deep technical stage,” United Aircraft Corporation CEO Vadim Badekha revealed.

Talks center on manufacturing at existing Su-30 facilities in India, maximizing local components and industry involvement for long-term strategic ties.

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation CEO Vadim Badekha announced that technical negotiations for a landmark Su-57 joint production contract have reached an advanced stage, as shared with reporters on the sidelines of the Wings India air show at Hyderabad’s Begumpet airport, earlier this week, according to a report by the Economic Times.

“Such contracts, given our experience, determine the trajectory of our cooperation for several decades to come”, he added, while emphasizing that such deals shape decades of cooperation, coinciding with recent SJ-100 airliner production pact and Il-114 sales, signaling broader aerospace synergy.

This builds on prior deep-tech talks for local Su-30 facility production using Indian systems.

In July last year, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed ongoing Su-57 procurement negotiations, saying, “These are sensitive talks, media will know at tangible stages like Acceptance of Necessity, RFP, or final contract.”

In November last year, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov highlighted intensive work on Su-57E license production to strengthen India’s fifth-gen fighter program, stressing Russia’s edge in deep tech transfer and localization for ‘Make in India’ and self-reliance goals.

The Ministry of Defence eyed the Su-57 since early 2025, particularly after the May 2025 ‘operation Sindoor’, compounded by the Indian Air Force’s critical fighter aircraft shortage.

The Indian Air Force currently operates around 30 squadrons versus the sanctioned 42 needed for two-front threats from China and Pakistan. While Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is set to hand over indigenous Tejas Mk1A fighters to the Indian Air Force soon, following successful missile firing trials on the Light Combat Aircraft, the delayed procurement has added to the fighter jet crunch in the IAF.