Putin Renews Su-57 Pitch to India at BRICS, But New Delhi Says No

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on September 11, 2026, for a three-day visit built around the 18th BRICS Summit, and the Kremlin is once again pressing India to buy the Su-57 stealth fighter. The renewed pitch, however, runs into an Indian government position that has already hardened against it: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said in July that India has no plans to acquire a new version of the Sukhoi, and New Delhi has instead committed to a multi-billion-dollar upgrade of its existing Su-30MKI fleet.

What Happened

Putin’s visit, which includes a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the BRICS summit proper on September 12, has put Russia’s stealth-fighter offer back in the headlines, according to multiple Indian defense outlets including ThePrint and Bharat Shakti. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the offer is on the table, stating, “We are willing to sell the Su-57, but the Indian side also wants transfer of the technologies.”

According to sources cited by Indian outlets, Russia’s proposal involves an initial delivery of two Su-57E squadrons off the shelf, equipped with the long-range R-37 air-to-air missile, followed by a second phase of joint production of three to five additional squadrons on Indian soil. The offer reportedly includes engine-technology transfer and, according to some reports, access to source code — terms Moscow has sweetened specifically because India walked away from the two countries’ earlier joint stealth-fighter program.

Indian officials, however, have given no indication a deal is imminent. No formal announcement is expected during this visit, according to reporting citing officials familiar with the discussions, and the visit’s agenda leans more heavily toward energy, trade and other defense-cooperation topics than toward a Su-57 signature.

The Product/System

The Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name Felon) is Russia’s single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation fighter, developed by United Aircraft Corporation’s Sukhoi division and intended to combine stealth shaping with supermaneuverability and internal weapons carriage. It has been in limited serial production for the Russian Aerospace Forces since 2020, with induction proceeding more slowly than originally planned. The export variant offered abroad, the Su-57E, has been marketed by Rosoboronexport at recent air shows, including a unit the company confirmed for new international buyers earlier this month.

India and Russia previously pursued a derivative of the Su-57, the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA)/Perspective Multirole Fighter (PMF), as a joint program. India withdrew from that effort in 2018 after cost projections reached roughly $35 billion for 127 aircraft, alongside Indian Air Force concerns about the jet’s stealth characteristics, engine performance and the pace of technology-sharing.

Who Uses It

Confirmed operator: the Russian Aerospace Forces, which has fielded a limited number of production-standard Su-57s, primarily assigned to a regiment reportedly based in Russia’s Southern Military District. Algeria has been widely reported by regional and Russian-linked outlets as a prospective or initial export customer, though Moscow has not published a confirmed delivery figure. No other nation currently operates the type. India is not a Su-57 operator and, per the Indian Defence Secretary’s public remarks, has no acquisition plan on the table.

Export/Procurement History

Russia has pitched the Su-57E to multiple prospective buyers over the past several years, including at international air shows in Africa and the Gulf, generally packaging the aircraft with technology-transfer and local-assembly incentives to compete against Western fifth-generation options. Rosoboronexport stated earlier this month that it had signed roughly $13 billion in new weapons deals and confirmed additional Su-57E buyers, without naming India among them. For India specifically, the current offer builds on years of intermittent Russian pitches — including proposals around the S-400 air-defense system, Pantsir-S1M and the S-500 — as Moscow tries to keep New Delhi inside its defense-export orbit even as India diversifies toward French, American and Israeli suppliers.

Global Competitors

India’s own AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), a twin-engine stealth fighter under domestic development, is not expected to enter service before the mid-2030s at the earliest, leaving a capability gap Russia is trying to fill in the interim. The Indian Air Force’s stated near-term preference runs instead toward expanding its Rafale fleet through the Medium Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) competition and modernizing its Su-30MKI fleet — roughly 260 aircraft, most license-built domestically by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited — under the so-called “Super Sukhoi” program. That upgrade, reported to be valued above $11 billion, centers on DRDO’s indigenous Virupaksha AESA radar, new avionics, electronic-warfare systems and integration of the long-range RVV-BD air-to-air missile, alongside Astra missiles already being fielded. China’s operational J-20 fleet and continuing fifth-generation development are the regional backdrop cited by Indian analysts for why New Delhi wants some stealth capability sooner rather than later, even as it declines the Russian offer in its current form.

Why It Matters

The renewed pitch, and India’s renewed refusal, illustrate a broader shift in the India-Russia defense relationship: Moscow remains eager to preserve a decades-long arms-export relationship strained by sanctions, wartime production demands and India’s diversification toward other suppliers, while New Delhi is increasingly willing to say no to marquee Russian platforms in favor of upgrading what it already owns and waiting for its indigenous programs to mature. The outcome also has export-market implications for Russia, which needs a marquee buyer to validate the Su-57E commercially after years of the program lagging behind China’s J-20 and the U.S. F-35 in both production numbers and international sales.

What Happens Next

No Su-57 agreement is expected to be signed during this BRICS visit, based on current reporting. Attention instead centers on whether the Modi-Putin bilateral produces movement on the previously cleared S-400 follow-on order — reportedly five additional regiments valued near $5 billion, for which Russia has submitted a financial bid — and on the pace of the Su-30MKI Super Sukhoi modernization, which is further along in India’s internal approval process than any Su-57 acquisition.

FAQ

Is India buying the Su-57?

Not currently. India’s Defence Secretary stated in July 2026 that India has no plans to acquire the Su-57, and no purchase agreement has been announced during Putin’s September 2026 visit.

What is Russia offering India instead of a straight purchase?

Reported terms include an initial two-squadron delivery of the Su-57E, followed by joint production of additional squadrons in India, with engine-technology transfer intended to address India’s long-standing demand for local manufacturing content.

Why did India previously withdraw from a joint Su-57-derived program?

India exited the FGFA/PMF program in 2018 over rising costs — projected at about $35 billion for 127 aircraft — along with Indian Air Force concerns about stealth performance, engine reliability and the level of technology actually being shared.

What is India doing with its existing Su-30MKI fleet instead?

India is pursuing the “Super Sukhoi” upgrade for roughly 260 Su-30MKI fighters, adding the indigenous Virupaksha AESA radar, new electronic-warfare systems and long-range missiles including the RVV-BD, in a program reported to be worth more than $11 billion.

Does any country currently operate the Su-57 besides Russia?

Russia’s Aerospace Forces is the only confirmed operator in service. Algeria has been widely reported as a prospective or initial export customer, though Moscow has not confirmed delivery numbers publicly.

Sources

• ThePrint, “Not just Su-57: What is on President Putin’s defence agenda as he visits India,” September 2026 — link. Used for the detailed breakdown of Russia’s defense-agenda items, including the Su-57, S-400 follow-on order and Super Sukhoi cost figures.
• Bharat Shakti, “Putin Visit Puts Russian Su-57E Pitch Back in Focus,” September 2026 — link. Used for the Peskov quote and specific Su-57E delivery/production terms.
• Eurasian Times, “Su-57 For IAF: India Rules Out New Sukhoi Fighter Jets, To Prioritize Su-30 MKI Upgrades,” 2026 — link. Used for Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh’s on-record rejection of a new Su-57 acquisition.
• Defence Security Asia, “India Slams the Door on Russia’s Su-57 Stealth Fighter as Defence Secretary Confirms ‘No New Sukhois,'” 2026 — link. Corroborating source on India’s official position and MRFA/AMCA context.
• Organiser, “BRICS Summit 2026: Russian President Putin arrives in New Delhi,” September 11, 2026 — link. Used to confirm visit dates and summit schedule.
• Defence.newsd.in, “Super Sukhoi Upgrade: Everything To Know About India’s Su-30MKI Modernisation Programme,” 2026 — link. Used for Virupaksha AESA radar and Super Sukhoi upgrade component details.

Image: Two Su-57 fighters taxi at MAKS 2019. Photo via the official website of the President of Russia (kremlin.ru), Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 4.0. Representative image, not from the September 2026 BRICS visit.