India-Russia: News & Analysis

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Jun 2017 13:31

Ramana,where does it leave India in the re-emergence of Eurasia? When the western diktat is diminishing with the rise of China,what should India do to maintain its hegemony over the IOR at least?

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 22 Jun 2017 13:39

>>This brings it in line with the post-French Revolution Europe. This fact is totally lost on US.

Spot on

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 22 Jun 2017 22:33

ramana wrote:Very big picture level conclusion is Putin has restored the Russian Orthodox Church and replaced the hereditary Czar system with an elected leader.

This brings it in line with the post-French Revolution Europe.
This fact is totally lost on US.

Trouble it also seems to be lost on post french-revolution europe, which does not see the Russian political system as in line with theirs.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 22 Jun 2017 22:40

Philip wrote: One US journo last night spoke of the former KGB hand of Putin,conveniently forgetting that George Bush Sr. was also a former CIA chief! US generals like "Mad Dog" Mattis can be Sec. of State for Defence, but that must be its unique privilege.The ROW must submit to Pax Americana.Fortunately,many countries like India differ, and we (fortunately) have the strongest repudiant of that deviant policy Putin as the modern Czar of Russia.

There is simply no comparison between the US and Russia as a democracy, except in the minds of Russia lovers on this forum. Foundations of democratic political systems like separation of powers actually works in the US.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 23 Jun 2017 20:11

>>Trouble it also seems to be lost on post french-revolution europe, which does not see the Russian political system as in line with theirs.

That will happen slowly, and is happening already in some ways. Germany today has a completely different sort of relationship with Russia, than say at the end of the cold war. France is inching away as well... Plus, I really don't think the Europeans expect Russia to become democratic in the European sense.

ShauryaT · Post by **ShauryaT** » 23 Jun 2017 20:51

ramana wrote:
Very big picture level conclusion is Putin has restored the Russian Orthodox Church and replaced the hereditary Czar system with an elected leader.

Yes. It will act as the core state of the Orthodox civilization along with its Slav ethnic connection to find a land route to the Adriatic. Many will mistake this as an attempt to restore the Warsaw and harp on Freedom/Democracy vs autocratic rule but the game has been shifted. The only weakness I see with the Russian model is a lack of "allies". It will hopefully build these as she restores her strenght.

Vivek K · Post by **Vivek K** » 24 Jun 2017 04:50

Is calling Putin an elected leader an oxymoron?

ldev · Post by **ldev** » 24 Jun 2017 18:22

For more than a 1000 years from circa 900 AD to 1991 Russia has been ruled by a series of autocrats/kings/czars/emperors/communist party bosses. It is trying to evolve it's democracy only for the last 25 years. To expect it to have the same degree of evolved democracy as western nations with much longer histories of the democratic experiment and to beat it's head over this issue at this stage is unrealistic. And from all available indicators the Russian people at this stage of their democratic evolution want a strong centralized figure at the Head of Government. Putin fulfills those aspirations. It is possible that Russia will become a more liberal democracy with the passage of time. But the pressure from the West is certainly hot helping that cause IMO.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 25 Jun 2017 14:10

Good news if confirmed, the deal;s have been hanging in the air tx to US sanctions against Russian banks.

http://www.defensenews.com/articles/key ... d-pakistan

India, Russia to iron out defense projects worth $10B
By: Vivek Raghuvanshi, June 22, 2017 (Photo Credit: Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images)
NEW DELHI — Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the U.S. for his first meeting with President Donald Trump, Arun Jaitley, India's finance minister and defense minister, is visiting Moscow to finalize weapons projects worth $10 billion that are "held up in the last stages."

Jaitley will "iron out" weapons projects during his talks on with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Defence Minister Gen. Sergey Shoygu at the 17th Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation in Moscow, an Indian Ministry of Defence official said.

The weapons projects worth over $10 billion that are in the final stages of discussions include the purchase of S-400 air defense systems, the acquisition of four Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates and the acquisition of 200 Kamov 226T light utility helicopters, or LUH, under the Make in India category. In addition, the lease of the second nuclear-powered submarine that is also in the final stages will be discussed.

Resurrection of Indo-Russia Ties Seen in $10B Defense Agreement
The MoD official said one of the major sticking points between India and Russia, which has been affected by U.S. sanctions against Russia pertaining to bank guarantees, has been resolved.
The sanctions disabled Indian banks from issuing guarantees to tie up with leading Russian banks.

According to Indian procurement law, Russia has to furnish bank guarantees from an Indian bank, which, in turn, has to tie up with a Russian bank. In addition, the bank guarantee should be made by a leading Russian bank, which are all under U.S. sanctions.

Defense News
US sanctions are affecting India-Russia defense deals: MoD source
"Jaitely will tell his counterparts (in Russia) that an amendment will be made (here) so that only a sovereign guarantee would be sufficient to execute the purchase orders doing away with the necessity of bank guarantees," an MoD official noted.

The main defense project that was affected because of the bank guarantee issue was the Oct. 2016 $5 billion deal on Indo-Russian Krivak class frigates.

Light utility helicopters
A memorandum of understanding, or MoU, between India and Russia was inked nearly two years ago on the joint production of Kamov 226T light utility helicopters, but progress on the ground has been slow. Early this year, India and Russia incorporated a joint venture named India-Russia Helicopters Limited Company to manufacture and assemble 140 Kamov 226T LUH. Out of total of 200 helicopters, 60 will be received in fly-away condition from Russia while 40 will be assembled in India and the remaining 100 fully built in India.
However, Russia is committing India for a larger number of helicopters to commit any transfer of technology.

An MoD source said that Jaitley will "thrash out" the helicopter issue during his Moscow visit, "even if it means less transfer of technology," according to another MoD official.

Defense News
S-400 and the Akula-II

India's purchase of S-400 air defence systems worth $ 6 billion is at the top of Jaitley's agenda. An intergovernmental agreement on the sale of the S-400 was signed in Oct. 2016 at the India-Russia summit in Moscow between President Vladimir Putin and Modi.

India and Russia will also finalize the lease of the second nuclear-powered submarine on lease from Russia. The Indian Navy inducted the first Akula-II submarine, christened INS Chakra, on a 10-year lease from Russia in April 2012 under a secret $900 million deal inked in Jan. 2004.

Fifth-generation fighter aircraft
Jaitley will also discuss the long-delayed joint production of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, or FGFA, but an MoD official said no decision has been made.
The initial FGFA agreement was signed in 2010 to jointly produce the aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

The MoD source said the outcome of FGFA is now being considered by an internal committee of MoD that is going into the technical issues, work sharing arrangement between India and Russia. A final agreement, which will release over $ 6 billion toward India's share of development in the FGFA, will be cleared only after the MoD gives the go ahead for the FGFA.

India has been importing weapons and spares from Russia since the 1960s, and Russian military equipment makes up nearly 60 percent of the total equipment in the inventory of the Indian defence forces. Most of these systems are old and need replacement.

bahdada · Post by **bahdada** » 25 Jun 2017 14:35

Vivek K wrote:Is calling Putin an elected leader an oxymoron?

This cynicism is the direct result of US sanctions against Russian banks and media. Russians will "thrash" it out of us soon enough.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 26 Jun 2017 09:45

ldev wrote:It is trying to evolve it's democracy only for the last 25 years. To expect it to have the same degree of evolved democracy as western nations with much longer histories of the democratic experiment and to beat it's head over this issue at this stage is unrealistic. It is possible that Russia will become a more liberal democracy with the passage of time. But the pressure from the West is certainly hot helping that cause IMO.

Who needs liberal democracy of the West what has evolved democracy given to them

Loss of their own Christian Faith to prove they are more secular than the ROW leading to slow Islamisation of Europe
Promotion of Gay Marriages and Gay Parades
A very materialistic society that live on Debt that keeps piling up.

Russia base is its Orthodox Christian Faith that incidentally is much close to Roman Catholic one hence Putin and Holy Father go also quite well , Russia is better off as authoritarian democracy as long as there is no Islamic Guy or Liberal Guy gets elected to that post.

The last thing any one in need is to ape western liberal democracy , Apeing also leads to disintegrating of society like we see in Iraq as every society evolved in its own way.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 30 Jun 2017 12:49

The Russian Economy 2014 – 2016, the Years of Sanctions Warfare

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 30 Jun 2017 20:42

So what news from jaitley and the fgfa committee.....

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 04 Jul 2017 10:14

CM enjoy the Indian Semi-Classical Dance by Svetlana Tulasi

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 04 Jul 2017 14:41

Austin wrote:
Russia base is its Orthodox Christian Faith that incidentally is much close to Roman Catholic one hence Putin and Holy Father go also quite well , Russia is better off as authoritarian democracy ..

I actually would like the same kind of authoritarian democracy in Bharat with Modi ji - RSS - VHP - Shankaracharya s in control, while clearing out control of NGOs - ej - mulla networks from Showbiz-Socio administration- media etc.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 17 Jul 2017 01:30

Putin and the Magnitsky act:
http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/07 ... ew-gps.cnn

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 22 Jul 2017 12:14

NBC News' Full Interview with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Fri, Jul 21

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sat down with NBC News' Keir Simmons to discuss the relationship between President Putin and President Trump.

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/watch-serg ... 5521475971

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 01 Aug 2017 17:44

It would seem that Putin is Mr 50%.
(compare to Pakistan's 10%).
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/ar ... ee/534864/

....in July 2003, when Putin arrested Russia’s biggest oligarch and richest man, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Putin grabbed Khodorkovsky off his private jet, took him back to Moscow, put him on trial, and allowed television cameras to film Khodorkovsky sitting in a cage right in the middle of the courtroom. That image was extremely powerful, because none of the other oligarchs wanted to be in the same position. After Khodorkovsky’s conviction, the other oligarchs went to Putin and asked him what they needed to do to avoid sitting in the same cage as Khodorkovsky. From what followed, it appeared that Putin’s answer was, “Fifty percent.” He wasn’t saying 50 percent for the Russian government or the presidential administration of Russia, but 50 percent for Vladimir Putin personally. From that moment on, Putin became the biggest oligarch in Russia and the richest man in the world, and my anti-corruption activities would no longer be tolerated.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 01 Aug 2017 19:33

Sounds asinine.If you look at Putin's energy,it has been building up Russian defence and industrial production not filling his pockets.The man in power of Russia does not need money. His power as "Czar" is absolute,pharaonic.If corrupt rivals swiftly emerge.
Western nations cannot stomach an independent Russsia with so much wealth.Thus the campaign against Russia,the only nation militarily as strong ss the US

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 02 Aug 2017 13:00

Absolute undisguised nonsense in the Atlantic.

After Khodorkovsky’s conviction, the other oligarchs went to Putin and asked him what they needed to do to avoid sitting in the same cage as Khodorkovsky. From what followed, it appeared that Putin’s answer was, “Fifty percent.”

"From what followed"...? First of all half the olis hate the other half, and each detests the other. Egomaniacs to the core, most. Second, "it appears"? Please people. Only the percentage is a clear 50%. Even if he actually said it, that is the clearest indication that the money would go back into state coffers... Putin is likely to live out his life in relatively wealthy circumstances, accordable to a president of one of the most powerful countries on the planet. No indication so far that he is a dynast, and no indication of any love for extreme wealth - certainly not more than, say a Merkel or an Obama. Let's not talk about Trump in this regard, not that I oppose the man.

No this is just politics as usual in the beltway it seems.

Gyan · Post by **Gyan** » 02 Aug 2017 14:28

I think 50% must be for Russia.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 02 Aug 2017 15:08

Mikhail Khodorkovsky , was pardoned by Putin in 2008 and he ran to Germany and started political activity in Russia ......life is good for him in west and he can say Putin is Mr 100 % without any liability

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 03 Aug 2017 09:32

Russian PM: "The U.S. Just Declared Full-Scale Trade War On Russia"

From Medvedev's facebook page:

The signing of new sanctions against Russia into law by the US president leads to several consequences. First, any hope of improving our relations with the new US administration is over. Second, the US just declared a full-scale trade war on Russia. Third, the Trump administration demonstrated it is utterly powerless, and in the most humiliating manner transferred executive powers to Congress. This shifts the alignment of forces in US political circles.

What does this mean for the U.S.? The American establishment completely outplayed Trump. The president is not happy with the new sanctions, but he could not avoid signing the new law. The purpose of the new sanctions was to put Trump in his place. Their ultimate goal is to remove Trump from power. An incompetent player must be eliminated. At the same time, the interests of American businesses were almost ignored. Politics rose above the pragmatic approach. Anti-Russian hysteria has turned into a key part of not only foreign (as has been the case many times), but also domestic US policy (this is recent).

The sanctions codified into law will now last for decades, unless some miracle occurs. Moreover, it will be tougher than the Jackson-Vanik law, because it is comprehensive and can not be postponed by special orders of the president without the consent of the Congress. Therefore, the future relationship between the Russian Federation and the United States will be extremely tense, regardless of the composition of the Congress or the personality of the president. Relations between the two countries will now be clarified in international bodies and courts of justice leading to further intensification of international tensions, and a refusal to resolve major international problems.

What does this mean for Russia? We will continue to work on the development of the economy and social sphere, we will deal with import substitution, solve the most important state tasks, counting primarily on ourselves. We have learned to do this in recent years. Within almost closed financial markets, foreign creditors and investors will be afraid to invest in Russia due to worries of sanctions against third parties and countries. In some ways, it will benefit us, although sanctions - in general - are meaningless. We will manage.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 21 Aug 2017 13:13

Good news for ESSAR and its creditors!

https://sputniknews.com/world/201708211 ... -purchase/
Xcpt:

Russia's Rosneft Closes Deal to Buy 49% of India's Essar Oil - Company
09:55 21.08.2017Get short URL 0 14210
Russia's Rosneft oil and gas company has closed a deal on the purchase of 49 percent in India-based Essar Oil limited company, Rosneft announced Monday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's state-run Rosneft oil and gas company has closed a deal on the purchase of 49 percent in India-based Essar Oil limited company, Rosneft announced Monday.

"Rosneft successfully closed strategic transaction for the acquisition of 49.13 percent of shares of Essar Oil Limited (EOL) from Essar Energy Holdings Limited (EOL) and its affiliates," the Russian company said.

Russian Oil Giant Rosneft Plans Big Investment in Indian Retail Market
An investment consortium comprising the Swiss commodity trading company Trafigura and Russia's United Capital Partners (UCP) announced the closure of a separate 49.13-percent share of Essar, Rosneft added.
Rosneft and Essar invested $13 billion in the Indian market in the last fiscal. The entry of a company like Rosneft will change the purchasing behavior and dynamics of India's retail sector, according to energy expert Narendra Taneja.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 25 Aug 2017 12:16

In recent years,there's been a tremendous spurt in activity by the Arctic nations,esp. Russia,in establishing their EEZ,etc. wiht global warming leading to the melting of the Arctic Circle. Putin has spurred the expansion of Russina naval capability and base infrastructure on a war footing.A Russian submersible a couple of years ago dived to the depths of the ocean and symbolically planted a Russian flag on the seabed in the extension of Russia's continental shelf into the ocean,thus claiming the territory as being Russian.

Now for the first time,a Russian merchantman has transited the Arctic without the need for an ice-breaker,a signal achievement which hold huge promise for reducing transportation costs by sea through this route,esp. Russian petro/gas exports and the opening up of the Arctic to mineral exploration.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... first-time

Russian tanker sails through Arctic without icebreaker for first time
Climate change has thawed Arctic enough for $300m gas tanker to travel at record speed through northern sea route
The Christophe de Margerie
The Christophe de Margerie carried a cargo of liquefied natural gas from Hammerfest in Norway to Boryeong in South Korea in 22 days.
Patrick Barkham

Thursday 24 August 2017
A Russian tanker has travelled through the northern sea route in record speed and without an icebreaker escort for the first time, highlighting how climate change is opening up the high Arctic.

The $300m Christophe de Margerie carried a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Hammerfest in Norway to Boryeong in South Korea in 19 days, about 30% quicker than the conventional southern shipping route through the Suez Canal.

The tanker was built to take advantage of the diminishing Arctic sea ice and deliver gas from a new $27m facility on the Yamal Peninsula, the biggest Arctic LNG project so far which has been championed by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Murmansk's silver lining: Arctic city banks on ice melt for its renaissance

On its maiden voyage, the innovative tanker used its integral icebreaker to cross ice fields 1.2m thick, passing along the northern sea section of the route in the Russian Arctic in a record six-and-a-half days.

“It’s very quick, particularly as there was no icebreaker escort which previously there had been in journeys,” said Bill Spears, spokesperson for Sovcomflot, the shipping company which owns the tanker. “It’s very exciting that a ship can go along this route all year round.”

Environmentalists have expressed concern over the risks of increased ship traffic in the pristine Arctic but Sovcomflot stressed the tanker’s green credentials. As well as using conventional fuel, the Christophe de Margerie can be powered by the LNG it is transporting, reducing its sulphur oxide emissions by 90% and nitrous oxide emissions by 80% when powered this way. “This is a significant factor in a fragile ecosystem,” said Spears.

The northern sea route between Siberia and the Pacific is still closed to conventional shipping for much of the year. But the Christophe de Margerie, the first of 15 such tankers expected to be built, extends the navigation window for the northern sea route from four months with an expensive icebreaker to all year round in a westerly direction.

In the route’s busiest year so far, 2013, there were only 15 international crossings but the Russian government predicts that cargo along this route will grow tenfold by 2020. This link with the Pacific reduces its need to sell gas through pipelines to Europe.

“There has been a steady increase in traffic in recent years,” said Spears. “There’s always been trade along this route but it’s been restricted a lot by the ice. It’s exciting that this route presents a much shorter alternative than the Suez route. It’s a major saving.”

Simon Boxall, an oceanographer at the University of Southampton, said that shipping companies were making a “safe bet” in building ships in anticipation that the northern sea route will open up. “Even if we stopped greenhouse emissions tomorrow, the acceleration in the loss of Arctic ice is unlikely to be reversed,” he said.

“We’ve been able to sail through the north-west passage for several years now but the northern passage, which goes past Russia, has opened up on and off since 2010. We’re going to see this route being used more and more by 2020.

“The irony is that one advantage of climate change is that we will probably use less fuel going to the Pacific.”

The extent of Arctic ice fell to a new wintertime low in March this year after freakishly high temperatures in the polar regions, and hit its second lowest summer extent last September.

PS:Will this benefit China? Russia accounts for around 9% of imports by China,but still,50%+ comes from the ME/Gulf and needs to transit through the Malacca Straits.Russia is the principal beneficiary of this new Arctic route.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Aug 2017 17:26

India to send 350 soldiers, 2 warships, aircraft for major tri-service combat exercise with Russia

Highlights

This will be the first time India will deploy manpower and assets from the Army, Navy and IAF together for a tri-service exercise with a country.
The aim is to crank up military-to-military ties with Russia, which has been India's largest defence supplier since 1960s
The “Indra” combat exercise will be held with Russia at Vladivostok from October 19 to 29.

NEW DELHI: India will dispatch around 350 soldiers, a multi-role stealth frigate, an anti-submarine warfare corvette and some aircraft for the major "Indra" combat exercise to be held with Russia at Vladivostok from October 19 to 29.

This will be the first time India will deploy manpower and assets from the Army, Navy and IAF together for a tri-service exercise with a country. The aim is to crank up military-to-military ties with Russia, which has been India's largest defence supplier since the early-1960s but without the armed forces of the two countries exercising much together.

India, in sharp contrast, holds several exercises with the US ever year, ranging from the top-notch naval Malabar wargames (with Japan as a regular participant now) to the counter-terror Vajra Prahar & Yudh Abhyas between their armies.

After the massive Malabar exercise in the Bay of Bengal in July, for instance, the Indian and American armies will now hold the Yudh Abhyas exercise at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the US from September 14 to 27.

Officials say the Indra exercise's basic thrust will be on tri-Service operations in an integrated theatre scenario, with establishment and functioning of joint command structures and headquarters. "The two armed forces will also learn each other's doctrines, tactics, techniques and procedures for joint operations. The final planning conference for the exercise will be held in mid-September," said an official.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 04 Sep 2017 16:30

Hydrocarbons story shows way forward with Russia - By PS Raghavan

The writer is convenor, National Security Advisory Board

The recent acquisition of Essar OilBSE -0.15 % by a consortium led by Russian oil giant Rosneft has some interesting features. It is Russia’s largest foreign investment, and India’s largest inward investment. Essar’s Vadinar refinery will add 20% to Rosneft’s refining capacity. It will refine Rosneft’s crude holdings, mainly from Venezuela, replacing West Asian sources.

In the near-term, the consortium plans to expand annual refinery output to 24 (from 20) MT, add a downstream polypropylene unit, and increase Essar’s retail outlets from 3,500 to 6,000. Rosneft’s India foray has been mirrored by recent hydrocarbons investments in Russia by Indian companies.

In 2015-16, ONGC Videsh acquired from Rosneft a 26% stake in Vankorneft, Russia’s second largest oilfield by output. A consortium of Oil India, Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum took another 23.9%. It also bought 30% stake in another Rosneft subsidiary, Taas-Yuriakh. Together, these constitute a $5 b investment. ONGC Videsh’s earlier investments in Russia also total $5 billion.

The mutual interests should restrain both governments from policies that may undermine the profitability of the investments. There are also wider implications. These two way commitments should help overcome misperceptions that have inhibited investment flows between the two countries. Corporate India’s perceptions of the impact of Western sanctions on Russia has been the main deterrent.

Sanctions on Russia have a limited territorial and sectoral coverage. Western companies have found ways around them

International Monetary Fund assessments show that the Russian economy moved from recession to growth in 2016 and that its fundamentals have survived both recession and sanctions. They include a healthy current account surplus, low unemployment (5%), low external debt (including corporate debt) of about 30% of GDP and undervalued corporate stocks.

Bilateral business success stories have largely escaped publicity. Chennai-based Carborundum Universal has a 100% investment in Europe’s largest silicon carbide manufacturer, located in Russia. Reliance Industries, with Russian partner Sibur, is constructing a butyl rubber plant in Gujarat.

The hydrocarbons story shows the way for other investments. Russia’s natural resources riches should attract resource-hungry India. Russia has recently offered incentives for investment in its far eastern region, including infrastructural support and favourable tax regimes.

Finally, and importantly, there is a beneficial political impact of such investment exchanges. In an increasingly fluid environment, India-Russia relations retain strong political and strategic logic.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 11 Sep 2017 00:25

Successor to Yasen will have some new type of reactor :

Vips · Post by **Vips** » 11 Sep 2017 02:07

As defence sector opens up, Russian suppliers yet to find their groove.

Despite India opening up its defence industry to private players, Russian suppliers still find it more convenient to work with Indian public sector companies (but of course the Sarkari Babudom is already cultivated by the Natasha's, the Private sector guys are not going to fall in the trap) . Concerns over experience and expertise are the main reasons, experts say.

Since the new policy was approved in May this year, Russian defence companies — unlike OEMs from the US, Israel and Europe — have been less active in signing MoUs with Indian private sector players such as the Tatas, L&T, Reliance Infrastructure, M&M, Bharat Forge and Ashok Leyland.

Despite being one of India’s major suppliers of weapons, Russia has not been very vocal about India’s strategic partnership policy in defence sector. From 2012 to 2016, Russia accounted for 68 per cent of India’s arms import, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, followed by the US (14 per cent) and Israel (7 per cent).

Jayant Patil, Whole-time Director and Senior Vice-President (defence business) at L&T, told BusinessLine that Russian OEMs have not really understood the extent to which India has been changing. “Russian OEMs want to transfer technologies only to State-owned companies and seek government guarantees. With this they will miss out, except for mega deals that will be facilitated on government-to-government basis,” he said.

A Russian industry expert who has been representing several of the country’s defence companies in India for the past 10 years, says Russian suppliers are more comfortable to continue working with PSUs. Private players lack experience, and this concerns Russians, he says. “You can build factories and shipyards over a couple of years if you have the money to invest, but building technical expertise requires decades.”

However, Konstantin Makienko, Deputy Director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, believes Russian OEMs are willing to work with the private sector. “The question is whether India’s private sector is ready for creating sophisticated defence platforms from technological, management and workforce,” he said. (He should know better then commenting on this considering L&T's involvement in the most challenging defence project in India - The Nuclear Submarine)

Victor Kladov, Director at Rostec Corporation, which comprises around 700 companies working in defence and other strategic sectors, says Russia is deepening cooperation with India amid strong global competition. “Only Russia has been transferring 100 per cent technology, allowing Indian firms to set up full-fledged manufacturing of weapon systems,” he noted. (Like T90 Tank main gun and Su30 MKI engines ? )

Russia has already licensed manufacturing of Su-30MKI fighters, T90 tanks, RD-33 jet engines in India. The Brahmos missile is an example of co-development and co-manufacturing. These projects were implemented by Indian defence PSUs. (Screwdrivergiri)

Russia’s most recent ‘Make in India’ initiative, the Ka-226T helicopters, is executed in collaboration with State-owned HAL. Russia is currently eyeing around $10 billion worth deals from India. (The list of omissions and commissions in this deal will come up only in the CAG report's post 2020)

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 Sep 2017 08:49

Manish_Sharma wrote:Successor to Yasen will have some new type of reactor :

Even Yasen 885M has new reactor Mono Block type does not need refuelling during its life time

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 11 Sep 2017 08:52

Can't we offer to build 88M and lease that then? Considering the Akula we are planning to lease will be built over the next 6 years.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 Sep 2017 17:37

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 11 Sep 2017 23:14

Austin wrote:Even Yasen 885M has new reactor Mono Block type does not need refuelling during its life time

Yes but it's totally separate technology. Something metal cooled instead of pressure water. This will give much faster speed.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 12 Sep 2017 05:29

Huma Siddiqui good interview!!!

Atta girl.

Suresh S · Post by **Suresh S** » 12 Sep 2017 05:42

excellente interview , agree.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 12 Sep 2017 05:46

She is a lurker here.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 12 Sep 2017 05:48

Philip wrote:Ramana,where does it leave India in the re-emergence of Eurasia? When the western diktat is diminishing with the rise of China,what should India do to maintain its hegemony over the IOR at least?

Philip, Very sorry for extremely late reply.

PVNR had some thoughts about this and am looking for his quote.

Doklam standoff gives us hope it's not all monolithic rise.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 12 Sep 2017 13:33

Tx Ramana.Did you see the new historic Russia-Japan agreement? Abe and Putin have buried the WW2 hatchet and the Japanese are outflanking China
with the Russian handshake.A rai link fro Japan to Moscow using the existing TSR rly. is on the cards,plus opening up of the Arctic shipping route makes it far easier for Japanese goods to reach Russia bu sea now.The games China has been playing with the Korean issue and inability of the US to resolve the situ has made Japan look for new powerful friends.Russia in the northwest and India in the east!

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 14 Sep 2017 09:33

Chennai-Vladivostok sea route: India's effort to counter China's OBOR could soon get a big Russian helping hand

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 15 Sep 2017 21:14

The Mercator projection/map gives a totally wrong view of the globe.On must look at a real globe or a good atlas at least in order to understand distances,etc.

Here's a Western analysis of Putin ,an attempt to discover his global masterplan for Russia. The truth is far simpler.Putin wants Russia never to become a poor puppet state of the West as it was in great danger of becoming under Yeltsin who allowed the robber barons to loot ans scoot with Russia's wealth.Having first secured Russia's mineral wealth,Putin wants to use Russia's inexhaustible mineral reserves to transform his country economically.However,the relentless pursuit of NATO towards Russian territory,scooping up ex-Sov. republics,has forced him to modernise and expand as much as possible Russia's mil. might. Here the priority has been Russia's strat. deterrent and SSBN fleet.

Secondly,apart from mil. modernisation which has paid great dividends,as seen in Syria,Putin has made Russia a global power once again,with the ability to conduct missions like that in Syria,defeating ISIS and shoring up the Assad regime,with consumate ease and according to Western analysts at low cost too. Russia has thus been able to flex its muscles,test its weaponry,strat. and tactics in the world's most inhospitable region against a formidable fanatic enemy supported by many western and Arab entities.They lost.

In intl. affairs,Putin has been a statesman who has spoken always with confidence (his hours long annual TV interviews live) on intl. affairs,Russia's stand with clarity unlike the US which whether it was O'Bomber or Trump has swung like a pendulum in a Force 5 hurricane! this "solidity" in diplomacy and national power to projectr the Russian viewpoint is why nations are desperately flocking to Putin's doorstep to resolve the NoKO crisis.Should Putin defuse the crisis,Russia's intl. standing will rise even further and will ee a further and more rapid shift in the balance of power eastwards,where Russia,China and India (should the Chinese revise their anti-Indian attitude)could form a strong balancing role in global affairs in a reformed UNSC. Should Russia resolve the NoKo crisis,watch Japan (already making gestures to Russia) and SoKo change tack and become closer to Russia dumping the US as mil. protector in the process.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 47511.html

What does Putin actually want? Russia's endgame with Trump, Europe and the Soviet Union 2.0
Former KGB man has been an indomitable force in Russian politics for two decades, but what is his geopolitical masterplan?

Harry Cockburn
'Putin’s game plan right now, internally, domestically, is to send warning signals to his critics that they might be murdered or they might be arrested' Reuters
Vladimir Putin has maintained a vice-like hold on the top tiers of Russian power for almost twenty years.

For international observers, the Russian leader is an unfathomable and enigmatic figure. He is rumoured to have a personal wealth worth billions and is said to enjoy access to luxury palaces and mega-yachts.

He has been officially been linked with ordering the murder of opponents, is claimed to be a ruthless “Tsar of corruption”, as well as perhaps being the man responsible for putting Donald Trump in the White House.

Mr Putin has cultivated a public image as a ‘man of action’ with his reported love of extreme sports, flying military jets and driving racing cars. He boasts black belts in judo and karate, broadcasts his love of both hunting and animal conservation, and he seems rarely to miss the opportunity to make a shirtless public appearance.

In Russia he is not merely a divisive political figure, but a man who inspires visceral displays of dissent among his opponents, many of whom risk arrest or worse.

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Internationally, the country faces isolation and economic sanctions amid a recent history of military interventions and land-grabs in former Soviet states including Ukraine and Georgia.

But despite Mr Putin’s facility for generating incredulity in the West, he retains a remarkable public approval rating of 83 per cent in Russia, officially at least.

Love him or loathe him, since Mr Putin rose through the ranks of Boris Yeltsin’s enfeebled government in the late 1990s, Russia has changed beyond all recognition.

One of his early apparent successes was Russia’s sudden economic growth after he took power.

Following the economically disastrous collapse of the Soviet Union and the required market reforms under Yeltsin, the new president's administration slashed business rates, renationalised parts of the oil industry and exported oil during a period of rising prices. The results were rapid.

Between 1999 and 2006, Russians’ real disposable income doubled. For many Russians, this period of unprecedented growth sealed Mr Putin’s reputation as a shrewd politician and he is still remembered for it today.

But what does the Russian leader want now, and how is he going to get it?

Zapad
This week Russia and the former-Soviet state Belarus embark upon vast military exercises which European observers estimate could involve as many as 100,000 troops – significantly more than the 5,500 Russian personnel and 7,200 Belarussian troops the Russian defence ministry has said will be involved.

Countries in the West are deeply uneasy about the exercise, codenamed "Zapad", or "West". As President Trump and the North Korean authorities continue exchanging provocations, the Zapad exercise is expected to contain a dry-run for nuclear military engagement,

In addition, previous iterations of the manoeuvres heralded Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2008 and of Ukraine in 2014.

But the war games are unlikely to provide the “Trojan Horse” for a land grab, as some in the US fear, says Mathieu Boulegue, a research fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

“Zapad is a routine exercise, so there is no cause for alarm in the sense that Russia will stick to the scenario,” Mr Boulegue told the Independent. “Everything they want to rehearse is ready and it’s been planned for the past few years.

“But there is a kind of game of hypocrisy with Russia on one side and the West on the other

“We want to acknowledge Zapad as being potentially threatening, but we don’t want to give Russia the chance to brag about their military prowess.”

Distraction
But is the huge military exercise simply a distraction from what Mr Putin is attempting?

US historian Amy Knight, author of forthcoming book Orders From Above: The Putin Regime and Political Murder, and described by the New York Times as “the West's foremost scholar” of the KGB, said a recent wave of arrests, imprisonments and intimidation in Russia could be read as preparations for the 2018 Russian presidential election, in which Mr Putin is expected to stand and win.

The arrests include what she says is the “showtrial” of Alexey Ulyukaev - the highest ranking government official to be arrested for a crime since Lavrentiy Beria was arrested in 1953, under Nikita Khrushchev. “It’s a pretty big deal,” Ms Knight told the Independent.

In addition, Kirill Serebrennikov, the film and theatre director was arrested, ostensibly on charges of embezzlement, and Yulia Latynina, one of the most prominent female journalists in Russia, was forced to leave the country saying she fears for her life.

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In June, opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who has previously organised protests against Mr Putin, was arrested, charged with fraud and this week was pelted with sausages at an airport as he returned to Russia from Europe.

“The authorities have really been attacking the critics of Mr Putin,” Ms Knight said.

“What I see internally is that Putin is nervous about the presidential elections. One might say ‘why would he be nervous? He has an over 80 per cent approval rating, and even the municipal elections last Sunday showed that United Russia – the pro-Kremlin, pro-Putin party is dominating and so on.’

“But I think Putin views things a little differently. He hasn’t forgotten, nor have his colleagues that around the last presidential elections there were mass demonstrations. In 2011, 2012, Navalny actually helped organise those. And it really shook the Kremlin.”

Internal strife
Mr Putin may also be jumpy because Russians are still suffering economically, Ms Knight said.

“Real income is going down because their pensions haven’t been raised, their wages haven’t been raised. People have economic woes they’re griping about and Navalny plays into that.”

“I would say that the popular support for Putin is deceptive. The turnout last week was 14 per cent – you see a lot of voter apathy. And we might see these protestors out on the street again, so I think the Kremlin is nervous about the elections.

“Putin’s game plan right now, internally, domestically, is to send warning signals to his critics that they might be murdered or they might be arrested,” she said.

“In the case of [arrested former official] Ulyakaev, he was a team player, and people are asking why Putin would want him to be going through this trial.”

But she says the punitive measures send a message to any other officials who might think of crossing Mr Putin.

“Putin is as concerned about what the masses think, and possible unrest, as he is concerned about what he might face internally, at the top, among his elite.

“He is also trying to send a message to them: ‘anyone of you could also be arrested and slapped with corruption charges’.”

Abroad

According to Ms Knight, the Zapad exercise is a means of showcasing Russia’s international strength and diverts internal attention to what’s going on with the West.

“It plays on people’s sense of patriotism and makes Putin look like a strong leader,” she says.

While flexing its military might, Russia is also making extensive progress with other forms of warfare, including disinformation campaigns, cyberwarfare and propaganda. And it is attempting to integrate them with its existing military forces.

This, Ms Knight says, is a crucial part of Russia’s emerging arsenal of weapons which could bring former Soviet satellite states back under a greater Russian sphere of influence.

“I don’t think they aspire to militarily control Ukraine, but it’s enough for them to try to destabilise the government there and make every effort to prevent Ukraine from joining Nato for example. I think taking over all of Ukraine would be biting off more than they can chew. But I might be wrong,” she says.

The 20th Century cold war narrative, instead of having disintegrated as the Soviet Union crumbled, remains very much at the forefront of Mr Putin’s concerns, albeit in a metamorphosed form, experts agree.

James Nixey, head of Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, told the Independent: “I certainly do not think that Russia is trying to recreate the Soviet Union. But, and it’s a big but, there are elements of the Soviet Union in what he’s trying to do.

“The Russian’s feel protective [of former Soviet states], it’s kind of a schizophrenic attitude, because in some ways they see them as kindred, and in other ways they look down upon them and want to control them.”

“That is the crux of the tension between Russia and the west right now,” Mr Nixey says. “The attitude towards the post-Soviet states is the most salient aspect.”
This focus on the former Soviet states is largely to do with Mr Putin’s concerns over what he perceives as Nato’s encroachment.

“I don’t think Putin aspires, practically speaking to have Nato dissolve,” Ms Knight says, but as we know, the Russians have supported Trump very actively, and President Trump, when he went over and met all the Nato leaders, he basically said he didn’t really care about Nato.

“So I think on Putin’s wishlist is to have Trump not be impeached, to stay in power and to continue with his luke-warm attitude towards Nato.”

Authoritarianism and war

So what motivates the incredible staying-power and vast amount of work before the Russian leader?

Scholars contend the West is already at war with Russia, albeit one without traditional declarations, weapons or methods.

According to Mr Nixey, “Russia has mobilised its society, its economy, its military-industrial complex, its political system in preparation for a war it believes it is at with the West.”

So why does he stay?

“It’s part of his persona as a Russian leader,” Ms Knight says. “He’s an authoritarian leader, I would say he’s a dictator, he’s running a dictatorship now, and all dictators and authoritarian leaders have both an internal and external agenda. They have to project strength, they have to project strength abroad.”