India Has Definitively Ruled Out Purchasing Russian Su-57s

• 4.08.2026, 16:37

Putin's attempts to sell up to 40 fighter jets to New Delhi have failed.

India has decided not to purchase Russian Su-57E fighter jets, despite all of Russia’s attempts to sell these aircraft. The decision was confirmed by Indian Defense Secretary Rajeesh Kumar Singh, according to Defence Security Asia.

“No, we are not considering the purchase of Sukhoi aircraft,” Singh said, responding to a question about the acquisition of new fighter jets. He added that India is actively working on modernizing its existing Sukhoi aircraft, which are manufactured under license from Russia.

Recently, Russia has been vigorously promoting the Su-57E on the Indian market, offering not only the sale of the aircraft but also the localization of their production at the facilities of the Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, along with technology transfer.

In December 2025, during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin discussed the idea of jointly producing these aircraft. The proposal called for the delivery of two to three squadrons (up to 40 aircraft).

The Indian next-generation fighter AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), which is currently in the prototype development stage, is intended to serve as an alternative to the Su-57E.

Experts attribute the decision not to purchase the Su-57 to India’s negative experience participating in the joint FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft) program, from which the country withdrew in 2018. At the time, New Delhi explained this decision by citing concerns regarding the Su-57’s performance characteristics, specifically its failure to meet stealth requirements.

Thus, this latest refusal by India marks the second major setback for the Su-57 in the Indian market.