Russia Escalates Bid to Sell Su-57 Fighter Jets to India, Promises Game-Changing Technology Transfer
In a bid to outmaneuver its rivals, Moscow is not only offering joint production of Sukhoi Su-57E but also an unprecedented transfer of advanced technology and the establishment of a domestic fifth-generation fighter industry in India.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Russia has intensified its push to secure India as a buyer for its cutting-edge fifth-generation fighter jet, the formidable Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon.”
In a bid to outmaneuver its rivals, Moscow is not only offering joint production but also an unprecedented transfer of advanced technology and the establishment of a domestic fifth-generation fighter industry in India.
Russia’s Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, underscored the significance of the proposal, calling it a “highly lucrative deal” that could reshape India’s air combat capabilities for decades to come.
“We’re offering our own fifth generation fighter. We have the best machine – Su-57. We just showed it, displayed it at Aero India last month in Bangalore and it performed, and you know stole the show.”
“It is very competitive, we are offering not only to sell but to co-produce. We offer technology sharing, we offer… you know industry with creation of necessary industrial facilities for production of this. We are open to configuration changes.”
“So this is a very lucrative deal deal that we offer to India,” said Alipov.
The United States and Russia are locked in a fierce battle for dominance, each vying to secure India’s favor in what could be one of the most consequential fighter jet deals of the decade.
At the heart of this high-stakes contest are two of the world’s most advanced warplanes—the American F-35 and the Russian Su-57—each promising to reshape the future of India’s air power.
In a dramatic turn of events, Russia has officially put forward its Su-57E fighter jet as an option for the Indian Air Force, just as U.S. President Donald Trump personally pitched the F-35 to India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile visit to Washington.
Alipov, underscored the lucrative nature of Moscow’s offer just hours after Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms export agency, made an announcement—India could fast-track the licensed production of the Su-57 by upgrading its existing Su-30MKI production line.
India has already built at least 222 units of the Su-30MKI, a formidable “4+ generation” fighter jet, and Russia is now leveraging this existing infrastructure to seamlessly transition the country into the elite club of fifth-generation fighter operators.
On March 7, the Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported that Rosoboronexport had declared its readiness to utilize India’s well-established Su-30MKI production facilities for local Su-57E manufacturing.
Rosoboronexport further asserted that should India finalize the deal, its aerospace industry—already experienced in assembling Russian Su-30MKI fighter jets—could immediately begin producing the Su-57E, ushering in a new era of indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet production.
“In the event of a positive decision by the Indian side, the production of the Russian fifth-generation Su-57E fighter jet can begin in a short timeframe at the same factories currently producing the Su-30MKI,” Rosoboronexport stated.
Rosoboronexport has doubled down on its commitment to bolstering India’s air combat prowess, pledging full support for a sweeping upgrade program that will transform the Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKI fleet.
More than just a routine modernization, this initiative promises to inject cutting-edge capabilities into India’s fighter jets—while actively involving the country’s defense industry in a strategic partnership that could redefine its aerospace future.
“The combat capabilities of the Su-30MKI can be enhanced through the integration of new air-launched weapons and avionics upgrades,” the agency stated.
“Discussions are currently underway regarding the continuation of Su-30MKI production in India, and we expect positive developments in the near future.”
India stands at a critical juncture, facing the unsettling possibility of becoming one of the last nuclear-armed states to operate a fifth-generation fighter jet.
As the global air combat landscape evolves, major powers have already made their move—the United States, the United Kingdom, and NATO’s nuclear-sharing allies have secured the cutting-edge F-35, while Pakistan is on track to introduce China’s J-35A by 2029, with the potential addition of Türkiye’s ambitious KAAN fighter.
Meanwhile, even North Korea has signaled its intent to acquire the formidable Su-57.
This leaves India and France as the only nuclear-armed nations yet to carve a definitive path toward fifth-generation air superiority—a gap that could have profound implications for their strategic standing.
Russia, sensing the urgency of the moment, has dramatically ramped up Su-57 production. Annual output has surged from just six aircraft in 2022 to 12 in 2023, with reports suggesting it will reach an impressive 20 in 2024.
For India, acquiring these cutting-edge jets in large numbers could be nothing short of transformative.
The Su-57’s advanced network-centric warfare capabilities would not only bolster its frontline combat squadrons but also act as a force multiplier—seamlessly integrating with MiG-29UPG and Su-30MKI fighters, S-400 air defense systems, and other strategic assets.
The question now remains: Will India seize the opportunity to leap forward, or risk falling behind in the next era of aerial warfare?
— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA
Russian proposal for SU-57 sell to India alongwith domestic production line and complete transfer of technology is worth considering. This is more viable considering the existing production line of Sukhoi 30 MK I.