On Monday, the Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, took a dig at US technology transfer to India by declaring, “nothing near the advanced technology transfer we do. The US is good at advertising. We don’t mix tech transfers with politics.” The statement was made on the eve of National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval’s trip to Moscow.
Russian technology is deemed quite advanced, and they do not mix technology transfer with politics, unlike the US. The US is often labeled as good at “advertising” its technology. The visit by NSA Ajit Doval to Moscow will be a part of the regional dialogue on Afghanistan, and the meeting with his Russian counterpart General Nikolay Patrushev will have discussions on the state of the Ukraine conflict and bilateral strategic partnership.
India and Russia have had a long history of military ties, where Moscow has often provided India with military technology and support. Russia has previously delivered several advanced defense technologies to India, such as Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets, Kilo-class submarines, BrahMos missiles, and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. India also acquired Russia’s MiG-29K fighter jet in the early 2000s.
Recently, India has been eyeing the purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia, and the US has not welcomed the idea due to sanctions on Moscow. Despite the growing tension between Washington and Moscow, the Russian Ambassador has been adamant about continuing to transfer advanced technology to India.
India has seen an increase in its defense budget over the past few years and has been looking towards Russia to acquire the latest defense systems. With the arrival of NSA Ajit Doval to Moscow, the two countries are expected to strengthen the defense partnership further and transfer advanced defense technologies. It remains to be seen if the US can provide India with similar technology in the future.