India won’t be “quitting” Russia anytime soon, as it still needs Russian military platforms, but New Delhi is all-in on developing indigenous platforms.
Indian news outlet The Hindu reported that New Delhi is no closer to finalizing a deal for the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name “Felon”) following Russian president Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to the country than it was in March. If anything, India may be less interested in the fifth-generation fighter, even as Russia has offered a co-production deal.
“We are offering our own fifth generation fighter. We have the best machine, Sukhoi-57. We just showed it, displayed it at Aero India,” Russia’s ambassador to New Delhi, Denis Alipov, said just after the March air show. “We are offering not only to sell but to co-produce. We offer technology sharing. We offer industry with creation of necessary industrial facilities for production. We are open to configuration changes. So this is a very lucrative deal that we offer to India.”
Not lucrative enough, apparently!
According to the report from India’s news outlet of record, the offer of the aircraft and other military hardware was “met with a lukewarm response.”
Putin Was No Dealmaker
Putin traveled to India to discuss economic cooperation and to ensure that India remains Russia’s largest defense customer. However, instead of reports that New Delhi had closed a deal for the Su-57, drones, or other platforms, there has been relative silence.
The reason is readily apparent.
“India didn’t show much interest in the equipment offered by Russia,” an Indian defense official told The Hindu. “The Russians were expecting major movement on the sidelines of the visit and are still pursuing the proposals. We are very much focusing on the development of indigenous products.”
India won’t be “quitting” Russia anytime soon, as it still needs military platforms such as the S-400 Triumf air defense system and will co-produce a variant of the T-90 main battle tank (MBT). Yet, the Su-57 is another story.
The Su-57 Is a Great Plane for Air Shows!
There is no denying that the Su-57 was a crowd-pleaser last March at Aero India and again last month at the Dubai Air Show 2025 in the United Arab Emirates.
The Su-57 continues to make the rounds at air shows, but this isn’t about just dazzling the crowds—which the Felon absolutely does—it is about closing deals. Apart from Algeria, which has committed to buying around a dozen Su-57s, no buyers have lined up. The Su-57 regularly performs extraordinary, even dramatic, aerial maneuvers, including rapid deceleration, flat spins, and inverted flight. Such demonstrations impress the crowds and regularly go viral on social media, yet clearly aren’t leading to sales.
That’s because the Su-57 is an excellent aircraft for air shows, but its combat record is far from impressive.
Russia Likely Disappointed with India’s Lukewarm Reception
Ahead of Putin’s visit, TASS and other Kremlin-controlled news outlets touted that a deal for the Su-57 was all but finalized.
“Highly on the agenda, and this could be discussed. Our military industry is working pretty well. Russian arms 36 percent in Indian armed forces and hopefully will continue,” Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov announced in a press statement ahead of Putin’s visit to India.
“Russia also hopes to discuss the possibility of India acquiring the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter,” Peskov added. “The Su-57 is the best plane in the world. Su-57 will be on the agenda.”
India likely knows what the rest of the world knows. The Su-57 isn’t the best plane in the world for anything but air shows.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock.com / Kosorukov Dmitry
