Russia-India partnership

The current political situation has created the perfect conditions for strengthening business cooperation between India and Russia, Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan, the Indian Ambassador to Moscow said Tuesday.

Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern is in talks with several Indian companies on setting up joint ventures to produce small arms and high-precision weaponry, a company official said Thursday.

A training facility for naval pilots to practice aircraft carrier operations is set to open in India’s coastal Goa region later this month, the head of the Russian company overseeing the project said Monday.

India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Moscow Sunday for an official visit, during which he is due meet President Vladimir Putin and sign a series of agreements on trade, nuclear energy and defense equipment.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday praised Russia for assisting New Delhi in nuclear energy and expressed hope that an accord on Moscow's further participation in India's Kudankulam nuclear power plant would be clinched in the near future.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will travel to Moscow next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks expected to focus on cooperation in the defense sector, the Kremlin said Friday.

A Russian-built aircraft carrier refitted for the Indian Navy will finally leave for India on November 30, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Monday, following an overhaul that is years late, and cost over twice the original budgeted price.

Russia could agree on a deal to start assembling Sukhoi Superjet 100 and Irkut MS-21 passenger jets in India, an official at the Russian Economic Development Ministry said Friday.

Russian paratroopers from the Eastern Military District will take part in an annual joint anti-terrorism exercise with India on October 18-28, a district’s spokesman said.

A Russian-built aircraft carrier is to be handed over to the Indian Navy on November 15, and will reach India by February 2014, a senior official at the Russian arms exports monopoly said Wednesday.

A Russian-built aircraft carrier refitted for the Indian navy has set sail for final sea trials prior to handover, a senior Russian defense industry official said Wednesday - five years after it was originally due to be delivered, and more than twice over budget.

Russia has delivered the last in a series of three frigates built for the Indian Navy, state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said.

The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has been put in a dry dock at Russia’s Sevmash shipyard for “cosmetic” repairs ahead of final sea trials and delivery to the Indian navy later this year, the company said.

India is to equip its Perspective Multirole Fighter (PMF) variant of the Russian T-50 fifth-generation combat aircraft with avionics similar to Russia’s version of the plane, United Aircraft Corporation President Mikhail Pogosyan said on Wednesday.

Russia’s Sevmash shipyard has fixed the engine problems which caused a delay in the delivery of the refitted aircraft carrier Vikramaditya to the Indian navy last year, a United Shipbuilding Corporation source said on Friday.

The INS Sindhurakshak, an Indian Navy diesel-electric submarine, was handed back to the service in an official ceremony following a major refit at Russia's Zvezdochka shipyard on January 26. Watch this video to see the submarine’s sea trials.