India and russia have signed "several big contracts related to aviation this year," multiple Kremlin media report quoting Dmitry Shugaev, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of russia. He noted that in 2025 those agreements that had been prepared earlier were finally implemented, though no details have been disclosed.
Then, on September 1, ANI News reported that Moscow is studying the possibility of producing Su-57 fighters in India to determine how much investment is needed. The project could be based on Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which already has experience with licensed production of the Su-30MKI, or potentially on another local enterprise.
Read more: India Still Can't Finish a Jet Engine Even for a 4th-Generation Fighter After 40 Years of Development
While no specifics were given on a possible return to the joint Su-57 project, russian sources describe the aircraft as only an "intermediate link" toward the eventual "creation of an Indian fifth-generation fighter."
It's worth reminding that despite Moscow's attempts to market the Su-57 as a fifth-generation aircraft, in reality, it corresponds to 4++ generation standards at most.
ANI also wrote that India is interested in acquiring several squadrons of fifth-generation aircraft and is weighing the russian Su-57 against the American F-35. The journalists speculate that New Delhi may lean toward the russian option given Trump's recent attacks on the Indian government and tariff policies.
However, it should be recalled that in August 2025 India finally decided to bypass the competitive procedures of the MRFA (Multi Role Fighter Aircraft) program — in motion since 2018 — and instead opted to purchase additional French Rafales from Dassault. This decision effectively left Saab's Gripen, Boeing's F-15EX, and the russian Su-57 out of contention.
Meanwhile, India is pressing ahead with its own indigenous program. Just weeks ago, it was announced that the AMCA — India's domestic fifth-generation fighter — is planned to take to the skies within the next three years. The project has now reached the point where the aircraft already has its final approved appearance and form.
At the same time, one critical weakness remains: as Defense Express reported earlier, even after 40 years of research, India has yet to complete a reliable domestic engine for a fourth-generation fighter, let alone a fifth-generation one.
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